Iris' Spiriting Away
by LunaClefairy
Summary: Based on Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away. Iris Ayasato was a normal girl, at least until a series of incidents led her to becoming an employee at a bathhouse for the spirits of different worlds. Her only hope of escape may lie with a mysterious young man in red armor. Mix of canon and AU.
1. Chapter 1

A young woman sat in the back of her family's small blue car as it drove along a peaceful street in rural Japan. Her dark brown hair was long enough to reach her thighs and was tied near the end with a dark red hair tie. She wore a purple shirt with loose, mid-length sleeves and a knee-length pale lavender skirt, both of which complimented her delicate appearance.

Buildings and trees whizzed by, but the young woman was interested in neither. Her bright green eyes were instead focused on a bouquet of lovely pink Peruvian lilies she held in her hands. Within the bouquet was a small white card containing a simple message.

_I'll miss you, Iris, but I promise to keep in touch! Don't you dare go forgetting me! Your best friend, Shoko._

"Iris, we're almost there!"

Iris wearily lifted her head at her father's voice. They had been riding in the car for hours, but the news didn't cheer her up at all. While she understood that her father had found a new job in this town and that moving was something that happened to many people, it didn't mean she had to like it.

She wasn't even at her new home yet and she already missed all of her friends. She slightly tightened her grip on her bouquet, as though she were trying to cling to the last remnants of her old life.

"This really is in the middle of nowhere," Iris' mother remarked. "I'll have to go all the way to the next town to shop."

"We'll just have to get used to it," Iris' father replied.

Iris half-heartedly glanced at her parents. Mr. Ayasato had short brown hair and green eyes that matched his daughter's, while Mrs. Ayasato had long black hair and dark brown eyes.

The car passed by the town's high school, and Mr. Ayasato was quick to point this to out to his daughter. Iris gave it a look-over and sighed, commenting that her old school was better. She went back to staring at her bouquet and gave a start when she saw that the petals were beginning to wilt and fall off.

"Oh, no! Mama, my flowers are dying!" she cried.

"That's what you get for smothering them," Mrs. Ayasato commented, earning a pout from Iris. "Don't worry; we'll put them in water when we get to our new home, and they'll perk right up."

Iris sighed once again. "I finally get a bouquet, and it turns out to be a farewell gift. How depressing is that?"

"Iris, you've received plenty of flowers as gifts before," Mrs. Ayasato reminded.

"They were all single flowers, not bouquets," Iris retorted bitterly. _Besides, they were nothing but pointless gifts from guys trying to ask me out._

"Here, honey, you dropped your card," Mrs. Ayasato said. Iris quickly took it and tucked it safely away. "And do try to cheer up. Who knows, you may end up meeting someone special here."

Iris blushed furiously at the unexpected remark. "M-mama!"

Mrs. Ayasato chuckled as her daughter stammered out that such a thing was impossible. After venting her embarrassment, Iris huffed and opened the backseat window. She lazily watched the scenery whiz by as she mentally grumbled about her mother's foolishness.

The car eventually came to a stop at a dirt road leading into a dense area of wood. Confused, Mr. Ayasato leaned out the window to try to figure out where he was.

"Wait, did I take a wrong turn? This can't be right…" he muttered. Mrs. Ayasato was quick to point out the family's new house on a nearby hill, and Mr. Ayasato decided that the path leading through the woods would be an alternate route despite his wife and daughter's misgivings.

Iris groaned softly when her father insisted on his idea. She knew they would end up lost, just as they always did when Mr. Ayasato took a so-called shortcut. As the car began to move again, her gaze fell on a large group of tiny house-like structures made of stone.

"What are those little houses for?" she asked.

"They're shrines. Some people think little spirits live there," Mrs. Ayasato explained.

The light of the sun was quickly blocked out by the trees as the car drove into the woods. The sounds of birds and cicadas were clearly audible, and while the road wasn't especially rough, Iris felt like something wasn't right.

"Papa, I think we're lost," she said in an effort to dissuade her father.

"We're fine. I've got four-wheel drive," Mr. Ayasato countered. He accelerated, and the uneven terrain caused the car to rock. Iris gripped her seat tightly as the car drove even faster. She could acutely feel every jarring bump in the road. Soon, even Mrs. Ayasato was yelling at her husband to slow down. Finally, they came to a large red building with a statue placed in front of it. Mr. Ayasato slammed the brakes, and the car came to a stop before it could hit the statue.

On closer inspection, the building appeared to be based on architecture from the Sengoku period and it had a tunnel carved into it.

"What's this all about?" Mrs. Ayasato asked as her husband parked the car and got out.

"Looks like an entrance," he replied. Curious, he made his way towards the opening.

"Honey, get back in the car! We're going to be late!" Mrs. Ayasato protested. Iris, who did not have a good feeling about the building, placed her bouquet on her seat and climbed out of the car in order to dissuade her father from investigating further. Her mother called her name in protest, but Iris ignored her. Mrs. Ayasato let out a sigh of defeat and got out of the car as well.

"This building isn't old. It's fake," Mr. Ayasato observed, placing his hand on the building's wall. "The stones are just made of plaster."

"Papa, I really think we should turn back," Iris pleaded.

"Why?" wondered Mr. Ayasato.

"It's just…" Iris trailed off as the wind suddenly picked up. She felt it against her back, as if coercing her to enter the tunnel. _The wind is pulling us in…_

"What is it?" Mrs. Ayasato asked as she joined her husband and daughter.

"Come on, let's go in," said Mr. Ayasato, an adventurous twinkle in his eyes. "I want to see what's on the other side."

Iris sharply turned towards her father and voiced her protests. She did not like the feeling the tunnel was giving her, and she definitely was not about to go in. She looked at her mother, hoping that she'd agree this was a bad idea. Mrs. Ayasato unhappily stated that the movers would reach their house first, but Mr. Ayasato reminded her that they had the keys and could get started without them.

"All right, just a quick look," Mrs. Ayasato conceded.

"No! I'm not going in there!" Iris shouted. She ran back to the car. "Papa, Mama, please, let's just leave!"

"Come on, honey, it'll be fun!" Mr. Ayasato insisted.

"No, it won't! I'm not going!" Iris yelled stubbornly. She then glanced at the statue that rested next to her and saw its creepy, frog-like face. She soon realized that she would be stuck waiting next to this creepy statue in front of a dark, creepy tunnel in the middle of the woods for who knew how long…all by herself. Suddenly, the idea of going into the tunnel didn't seem so bad.

"Iris, just wait in the car," Mrs. Ayasato said as she entered the tunnel with her husband. Iris' eyes darted from the statue to the tunnel and back, and anxiety built up in her gut.

"W-wait!" she cried, dashing after her parents. Mrs. Ayasato stopped for a moment, allowing her daughter to catch up.

Mr. Ayasato warned his wife and daughter to watch their step as they traveled through the dark tunnel. Iris anxiously looked from left to right, wondering if something might jump out at them when they least expected it. Upon emerging on the other side, they found themselves in a building resembling a train station. Old benches were scattered here and there and light filtered in through tiny stained glass windows. The ceiling was held up by numerous cracked stone pillars, and leaves and dirt littered every surface.

"What is this place?" Iris asked.

Mrs. Ayasato suddenly put a hand to her ear. "Oh! Do you hear that?"

Mr. Ayasato and Iris strained their ears and heard a faint rumbling noise.

"It sounds like a train!" Iris exclaimed.

"We must be near a train station," Mrs. Ayasato concluded.

"C'mon, let's go check it out," Mr. Ayasato suggested. He made his way towards the exit and was soon followed by his wife and daughter.

_But if there's a train, why aren't there any people here? _Iris wondered as she continued to look around the building. _I don't like this… Something isn't right about this place._

Upon exiting the building, the small family was greeted with a lush green windswept field. Large rocks and old, decaying buildings were scattered across the landscape, marring the otherwise picturesque landscape.

"What are those weird buildings?" Iris wondered.

"I knew it," said Mr. Ayasato. Iris and her mother looked at him in slight confusion and saw he was examining a giant old clock located on top of the building they just exited. "It's an abandoned theme park. See?" The women both followed his gaze and examined the decrepit clock. "They built them everywhere in the early nineties. Then the economy went bad, and they all went bankrupt. This must be one of them."

_Something tells me that isn't the case, _thought Iris. She noticed her parents exploring further and shouted, "Where are you going?! You said you would just take a quick look! Let's go back, now! Please!" Her parents ignored her and kept on walking. "HEY!"

The wind suddenly picked up again, kicking up the leaves and whipping Iris' hair about. A sound resembling moaning came from the building behind her, sending a chill up her spine. She chased after her parents, completely freaked out by the situation.

The sudden gust of wind stopped and was replaced with a gentle breeze by the time Iris caught up with her parents. She considered telling her mother and father about the moaning building, but decided to keep quiet because she knew they would just dismiss it as the wind. As they climbed a steep hill, Mrs. Ayasato commented on how beautiful the area was and that it was perfect for a picnic. They soon came across a tiny stream littered with many large rocks.

"Look, they were planning to put a river here!" Mr. Ayasato noted after crossing. He paused and sniffed the air as Mrs. Ayasato joined him. "Hey, you smell that? Something smells delicious!"

"Yeah, and I'm starving!" Mrs. Ayasato chimed it.

"Maybe this theme park's still in business! Let's go!" Mr. Ayasato declared.

"Iris, hurry up!" Mrs. Ayasato persuaded.

"W-wait a minute!" Iris stammered as she stumbled over the rocks. She and her mother followed Mr. Ayasato into a town-like area full of multicolored buildings. He followed the scent of the food like a bloodhound, and his wife and daughter had little choice but to follow. Mrs. Ayasato noticed that every building they passed by was a restaurant. Iris noted that the town was completely deserted despite the scent of food. She felt another chill go up her spine. This place was growing creepier by the minute.

"Ah, there it is!" Mr. Ayasato declared as he spotted steam coming from one of the stalls. He dashed over to the stall and beckoned his family to come over. Upon entering the stall, his eyes widened and his mouth watered; there were several enormous plates piled high with food. An unattended rice cooker was the source of the steam, but Mr. Ayasato was too distracted by the food to care.

Mrs. Ayasato and Iris caught up, and Mr. Ayasato requested them both to come into the stall. Mrs. Ayasato hungrily examined the food while her husband called for an employee. Iris stood outside, eyeing the food suspiciously. She knew people didn't just leave food out unattended for no reason.

"Come in, Iris! It looks delicious!" Mrs. Ayasato called as she sat herself on one of the stand's stools.

Iris quickly shook her head. "No, thank you."

Mr. Ayasato continued to call for an employee, but no one came. His wife assured that they could pay when the staff came back. Mr. Ayasato eagerly agreed, and the two of them grabbed plates and chopsticks.

"I wonder what this is called," Mrs. Ayasato muttered as she picked up a small roasted bird. She took a bite, and her eyes widened in amazement. She turned to Iris and cried, "Oh, it's delicious! Iris, you have to try this!"

Iris shook her head again and firmly stated, "No, I don't want any! Don't you two know any better? We'll get in trouble if we eat without permission! Let's just forget this and leave!"

Mr. Ayasato assured his daughter that he had plenty of money while he loaded several plates full of food. He sat down next to Mrs. Ayasato, who once again tried to convince Iris to try the food. The youngest Ayasato continued to refuse, not trusting the food at all. Her parents began to greedily gobble up the food, ignoring table manners and even snorting like pigs.

Iris grimaced in disgust and protested, "Mama! Papa! Please, stop!" Mr. and Mrs. Ayasato ignored her and continued to eat. Iris lowered her head and moaned in defeat. Deciding that any further persuasion was useless, she turned and walked back onto the main road. She glanced to her left, wondering if she should just leave and wait for her parents back at the car. Then she looked to her right and saw a large tree along with a large, oriental sign on top of a set of stairs.

Iris was still unnerved by the deserted town, but her curiosity was sparked. She glanced back at the stall where her parents were still chowing down. Seeing that they wouldn't be stopping anytime soon, she climbed the stairs and approached the sign. After examining it for a bit, she looked to her right and her eyes widened in amazement. There was a huge red building with a smokestack on the other side of a long wooden bridge.

"Oh, wow…" she muttered. She walked closer in order to get a better look. The building was very oriental in style, the smokestack was active, and there was a small waterfall out front.

"It's a bathhouse," Iris realized. _Why would a theme park have a bathhouse?_ She walked onto the bridge and peeked over one of its railings. Down below was a set of train tracks, and Iris soon spotted a train zip by. "So that's where the train was."

She hurried over to the other side of the bridge and climbed onto its lowest support in order to get a better look. Just then, she heard someone gasp loudly. Iris jolted in surprise and her head snapped towards the noise. Standing just a few feet away was a strangely dressed young man. His body was almost entirely covered in a black skintight bodysuit. He also wore crimson armor, including boots, gauntlets, and a vest. His head was crowned by a black helmet with red ridges in it, complemented by two white spikes on opposites sides of the helmet and a triangular blue crystal in the forehead position. A long mane of blond hair trailed out of the back of his helmet, and if it weren't for the wind keeping it aloft, it would've reached his thighs without issue.

The young man's dark blue eyes were impossibly wide, and his mouth hung slightly agape, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Iris stared back at him with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something vaguely familiar about this stranger. And was it just surprise that was causing her heart to hammer within her chest so violently?

The strange boy snapped out of whatever stupor he was in and quickly strode towards Iris. "You shouldn't be here. Get out of here, _now_!"

"Huh?" Iris stated dumbly as she climbed down from the bridge's support beam.

"It's almost night. You have to leave before it gets dark!" the boy hurriedly explained.

"But it's not―" Iris was forced to eat her own words as the sun rapidly sunk. Day turned to dusk in a matter of moments. The bathhouse's lights and the lamps lining the streets lit up, providing plenty of light to guide the way when darkness coated the streets.

"They're lighting the lamps," the armored young man noted, a hint of frustration in his voice. Iris let out a yelp as he forcefully shoved her across the bridge. "You've got to get across the river! Go! I'll distract them!"

Forced into a run, Iris cast one last glance at the strange boy before stumbling down the stairs back into the town. Once she was able to stop moving, her face twisted in confusion and annoyance.

"What's up with him?" she wondered aloud. _Still, he has a point. I'd better find Mama and Papa and get out of this weird place!_

Iris dashed through the town as the lights of lamps, decorations, and buildings lit around her. Humanoid shadows emerged from the ether, and she tried her best not to panic. She found the stall where her parents were at with little trouble and called for them. To her disgust, their faces were buried in the food like animals and they looked a lot fatter than usual. Not only that, she noticed that their skin had taken on a weird pink hue.

"Papa! Mama! Stop eating! We have to get out of here!" Iris begged. She tugged her father's shirt to get his attention. He turned his head, and Iris covered her mouth with both of her hands and gasped in horror as she was met face to face not with her father, but a pig. She glanced at her mother, only to see a pig in her place as well. The pig wearing her father's clothes stared at her for a few seconds, still munching food, before turning back to the stall and sniffing for more food. As it did so, it knocked over a large bowl and a container of soy sauce, and both clattered to the ground.

_This…this can't be happening! _Iris mentally shrieked as she slowly backed away. It took all of her effort to keep from screaming. She then heard an odd smacking noise and looked up. She grimaced as she saw an arm that was sticking through the steam smacking the pig that had been her father with a spatula. The pig squealed in pain and slammed to the ground, causing Iris to shriek in horror. Terrified, she bolted and made for the main road.

More shadowy humanoid figures were about. Iris looked left and right, calling for her parents and hoping that what she had just seen was some kind of sick practical joke. No one came except the shadows, and Iris' terror increased more and more with each passing second.

_Maybe… Maybe if I cross the river like that boy said, everything will go back to normal! __Yes! Mama and Papa should be there waiting, and this nightmare will be over!_

She ran as fast as she could through the town, dodging the shadowy figures. In no time, she had reached where the meadow was at. In her desperation, she didn't notice water leaking from the mouth of a frog statue located nearby. She dashed down the steps that led to the stream, only to plunge into knee-deep water when she reached the bottom. Somehow, the stream had grown into a mighty river. She could see lights on the other side, which seemed so far away now.

_W-where did all this water come from?! __This is bad… I can't swim!_

Iris gazed hopelessly at the faraway shore. She honestly had no idea what to do. Faint music rang in her ears, and it seemed to be coming from a ferry boat on the river.

"What…?" she murmured. She tightly shut her eyes and violently shook her head. "No! This…this has to be a dream! Just a really bad dream!" She knelt down and splashed her face with water to try to wake up. When that didn't work, she pinched the skin on her arm and winced in pain.

"Okay, I guess I'm not dreaming… But then… AAAAHHH!" Iris screamed when she saw that she could now see through her arms. "I-I'm see-through!" She furiously rubbed her arms in hope of regaining her solidity. As she did so, she saw that the ferry boat from earlier had docked. All of the doors onboard opened, and many paper masks floated out of them. Iris could see that the masks still left shadows that looked like the people who should have been wearing them. Once they got off the boat, the masks sprouted cloaks and headdresses.

Iris slowly backed away from the boat and then bolted when more shadows emerged from the river. That was the last straw; she had experienced more freaky things in one day than most people did in a lifetime. She hurried to a nearby building and crouched in the fetal position in its shadows. She hugged her legs and grimly noted that her transparency had spread through her entire body.

_Is this it…? __Am I going to disappear here?_

Her throat tightened and her eyes burned with unshed tears. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts and feelings that she didn't hear the sound of grass rustling nearby. Two hands gently rested on her shoulders, and Iris, overwhelmed by her emotions, instinctively screamed and tried to shove whoever it was away. In response, whoever had touched her pulled her body closer to theirs, and the next thing she knew, she was enveloped in a warm, protective embrace.

Still panicky and thinking this was a trap, Iris squirmed and shrieked, "No! Let go! Let go of me!"

"Shhh… It's going to be alright," her assailant soothed in a low voice.

Iris gasped and instantly ceased her struggling as she recognized the voice. Her panic dissipated enough for her to finally notice the person's long blond hair and crimson armor. She realized that this was the boy she had met on the bridge.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here to help you," the boy said.

Iris was silent for several moments. She could feel all of the tears she had been holding back threatening to burst forth. At last, she gave into the young man's embrace, sobbing into his shoulder and clinging to him as if he were her lifeline. He rubbed slow circles into her back, muttering soothing words all the while. This went on for several minutes, and Iris finally found herself calming down. She had never been held by a boy in such an intimate way before, and yet she couldn't help but feel like this was _right_. For the first time since entering this strange realm, she felt safe.

"Feel better?" the armored boy asked when her sobbing had mostly come to a stop. Iris pulled back from his embrace and mutely nodded. He presented her with a small red berry. "Here, eat this."

Iris' eyes widened considerably at the food and she vehemently protested and tried to pull away. Her parents had eaten food from this weird place and had turned into pigs, and she did not want to suffer the same fate.

The boy's expression turned serious. "You have to eat some food from this world or else you'll disappear."

"NO!" Iris shouted. As bad as disappearing was, she'd take that over becoming a pig. She attempted to push the boy away, but to her surprise, she was met with no resistance. She noted in horror that her arms had phased right through him, as if she were a ghost.

"Don't worry. It won't turn you into a pig," the boy assured. Persuaded at last, Iris allowed him to put the berry into her mouth. "Chew it and swallow."

Iris made a face; the berry tasted awful. Nonetheless, she did as instructed. Afterwards, she made a sound of disgust, earning a chuckle from the young man.

"There you go," he said. "You'll be fine, now. See for yourself." He presented his hand to Iris, encouraging her to touch it. Gingerly, she did so, and she was relieved when she found it to be solid and warm. She wasn't transparent anymore.

"I'm okay," she said softly. Her eyes locked with those of her savior, and she felt her heart quicken. Unlike before, his eyes were soft and compassionate.

"You see?" he asked, smiling gently. "Now, come with me." He stood up, still holding Iris' hand.

"Wait!" Iris cried. "What about my mother and father? They…didn't really turn into pigs, did they?"

"You can't see them now, but you will soon," the boy assured. His body suddenly stiffened as he looked up towards the sky. He quickly crouched back down and covered Iris with his body.

"Don't move," he warned, continuing to keep an eye on the sky. Iris felt her face heat up considerably at the position she was in, but she stayed quiet and still. She looked up and saw what appeared to be a person in green armor circling the sky above them. The red-armored boy pressed his body even closer to Iris' as the newcomer flew close. However, the person didn't seem to notice the two young people on the ground and soared off elsewhere.

"Harpuia," the red-armored boy growled as he got off of Iris. "He's looking for you. You've got to get out of here. Come on." He helped Iris to her feet and, keeping a firm grip on her hand, began leading her somewhere. Iris was amazed; the two of them were moving at a speed she didn't think was humanly possible. They dashed through the town into a dark, narrow alleyway, where the boy used some sort of mysterious power to open a door without touching it.

The building they entered seemed to be a place where food was stored. They passed by huge vats of liquid, raced through a room that held the carcasses of freshly-slaughtered animals, and zipped through a walk-in freezer. Then they passed through a barn full of live pigs, and Iris briefly wondered if her parents were among the squealing animals.

Iris and her escort finally came to a stop when they reached a garden located near the bridge that led to the bathhouse.

"You have to hold your breath while we cross the bridge," the young man stated. "Even the tiniest breath will break the spell, and then everyone will see you."

"Okay," Iris said in understanding. Deep down, though, she wasn't sure she could do it. The bridge was pretty long, and the fact that there was a crowd of weird spirits crossing the bridge as well would ensure that they couldn't move very quickly. She gripped her guardian's arm with both hands in order to try to gain some reassurance as they approached the bridge. Two people wearing armor not unlike Iris' guardian were greeting the spirits.

"I'm back from my mission," Iris' guardian said to the greeters as he passed by them.

"Ah, Master Omega! Welcome back!" one of the greeters said. Neither of them noticed Iris, much to her relief.

"Take a deep breath," the boy, now known as Omega, whispered to Iris. The girl inhaled as deeply as she could and covered her mouth and nose with her left hand in order to keep air from escaping. An instant later, they stepped onto the bridge. They increased their pace slightly in order to make it easier for Iris but not so much as to raise suspicion.

About halfway across, Iris spotted a strange-looking spirit standing by the bridge's railing. It's body was black but translucent, and it wore a white mask. Unlike the other spirits, however, it looked right at her. Iris' heart pounded; could this spirit see through the spell? Luckily, it didn't raise an alarm and instead chose to quietly stay where it was.

Iris decided to forget about the spirit, as she was more concerned with the fact that her lungs felt like they were about to burst. She squeezed Omega's arm, silently begging him to hurry.

"Hold on just a bit longer. We're almost there," Omega whispered. They were just steps away from the end of the bridge when a larger-than-average frog wearing a blue kimono ran up to them and jumped high enough to be at eye level with Omega.

"Master Omega! Where have you been?" the frog asked. Startled, Iris let out a yelp, only to instantly realize that she had made a mistake. She inhaled and covered her mouth again, but it was too late.

The frog landed on the ground and stared at Iris. "Wha? A human?" He jumped into the air again to get a better look, but Omega held out his right hand and trapped the frog in a force field.

"Let's move!" Omega yelled, pulling Iris along with him. Like a bolt of crimson lightning, he zipped by several women, lifting their skirts with the wind he produced. The women all squealed as they tried to push their skirts back down. In the meantime, Omega led Iris to a tiny door in a nearby gate. They both crawled through the door, and Omega locked it behind him. The force field around the frog then wore off, dropping him on the ground and leaving him utterly confused.

Omega and Iris didn't stop running until they hid in the bushes located in a small garden near one of the bathhouse's sliding doors. Omega kept a hand on Iris' shoulder as they crouched behind the foliage and witnessed the chaos happening inside the bathhouse. People were running all over the place, alarmed at the discovery of a human and calling for Omega.

"They know you're here," Omega muttered.

"I'm so sorry," Iris whimpered. "I took a breath."

"No, you did just fine," Omega soothed. "Now, listen carefully. You can't stay here, or they'll find you, and you'll never be able to save your parents. I'll create a diversion while you escape."

"No! Don't leave me!" Iris cried as she grabbed Omega's vest in protest. "I only made it this far because of you!"

Shock briefly flashed over Omega's eyes, followed by a hint of guilt. "You're gonna have to do this if you want to save your parents."

"I…see…" Iris conceded, lowering head her head sadly.

"Now listen," Omega began, drawing Iris' attention. "When things quiet down, go out through the back gate. Go all the way down the stairs until you reach the boiler room, where they stoke the fires. There, you'll find Fefnir, the boiler man."

"Fefnir?" Iris repeated.

Omega nodded. "Tell him you want to work here. Even if he refuses―and knowing him, he will―you must insist. If you don't get a job, Cial will turn you into an animal."

"Cial?"

"You'll see. She's the witch who rules this bathhouse. Fefnir will try to turn you away or even threaten to attack you, but keep just asking for work. It'll be hard work, but you'll be able to stay here. Then, even Cial can't harm you."

Iris nodded in understanding. Meanwhile, more people called for Omega, as they were still panicking about the discovery of Iris.

"I have to go," said Omega. "And remember this, Iris: I'm on your side."

Iris gasped and clung to Omega's hands as he stood up. "Wait! How did you know my name?"

Omega stood silently for a moment and averted his eyes. He looked as if he were remembering something painful. "We've met before…a long time ago." Iris was left speechless by his answer and expression and merely stared at him in shock. Omega then bid Iris farewell and wished her luck before leaving the cover of the bushes and walking towards the sliding door.

"Master Omega, Cial wants to see you," a worker said as Omega entered the bathhouse.

"I know," Omega grunted in reply. "It's about my mission, right?"

Iris heard the door slam shut, but remained where she was. She was still confused as to how Omega knew her.

_I've met Omega before? But that can't be right. I know this is the first time I've seen him. And yet…he seems familiar to me. Agh, none of this makes any sense! Who is Omega, really?_

Iris continued waiting until the noise coming from the bathhouse died down. She took it as her cue to leave. She hoped Omega's instructions were accurate, as she still had to save her parents, and right now, he was the only person she could trust.

* * *

**LunaClefairy: It figures that the first thing I'd put up in ages is A NEW FREAKIN' PLOT BUNNY! GAH! STUPID MIND, COMING UP WITH STUPID NEW CRAZY IDEAS!**

**I'm really, really sorry for all those who've been waiting for months for me to update **_**Flood**_**, but I've been REALLY busy this past semester. I literally whipped this up within the last three days. On top of that, I've been running a Youtube channel and putting up whatever I feel like drawing on my deviantART account.**

**I suppose you can consider this as filler until I get around to updating **_**Flood **_**(writer's block, I hate you with the fiery passion of ten thousand suns!). If I get to the point where I don't feel like finishing this, I'll just take it down.**

**Sigh… Even though plot bunnies suck, I like what I did with this so far. So yeah, this is basically a Zero/Iris version of **_**Spirited Away**_**, but I'm putting my own twist on it. The basic plot will be the same, but there'll be a number of things changed along the way.**

**I'm sure a lot of you are wondering who Cial is or are thinking I misspelled "Ciel". Cial is Ciel's identical twin sister in the Rockman Zero manga, and I figured Ciel and Cial would work well as the twin witches in this adaptation!**

**And in case it isn't obvious, "Omega" here is actually Zero, not Omega Zero from MMZ3… Does that make sense? I used that name because I couldn't think of anything else, ehehe.**

**I imagined Iris' clothes to be similar to her Net Navi counterpart, but her hair in the same style as her Reploid form. Zero has his MMZ design.**


	2. Chapter 2

Iris carefully opened the door that Omega had mentioned and slipped through it. The door squeaked, obviously in need of oil, but no one else was around to hear it. Iris closed the door behind her and crept along the balcony the door had led her to. She pressed herself against the wall, as there were no guardrails and it was a long drop to the ground below.

_Didn't the architect who designed this place have anyone's safety in mind? _

Iris soon spotted a long wooden staircase that, if Omega's information was accurate, led to the boiler room. It too, had no guardrails, and Iris noted that it didn't look very sturdy, either. She swallowed hard, trying to get a hold of her nerves, and carefully placed her foot on the first step. It creaked loudly as her weight settled on it, but it did not break. Slowly and carefully, Iris moved on to the next step. She continued to make her way down the stairs, feeling a bit more confident that they could hold her weight.

Iris was just about to resume her normal walking pace when one of the stairs splintered right under her foot. Panic took over her mind and she screamed while sliding down several of the steps. Her heart slammed against her ribcage and she gasped for breath, trying to regain her composure. One she stopped trembling, she got back up and resumed climbing down the stairs, but more quickly than before. After several tense minutes, she reached the bottom of the flight and onto a sturdy stone platform.

_Whew… I'm glad that's over._

Iris continued creeping along to the boiler room. While she had to climb down even more stairs, this second flight was made of stone and had a railing for her to hold onto. When she reached the bottom of this flight of stairs, she came across a rusty-looking green door. She opened it and went inside. As she made her way through a narrow hallway, she felt the temperature begin to quickly rise. Steam hissed from pipes that lined the walls, and Iris knew she was near the boiler room.

She peeked through the doorway that led into the boiler room. She saw that the walls were lines with drawers and that there was a shallow dip in the wooden floor that led to the boiler. Tiny black spiderlike puffballs marched from holes located on the edges of the dip towards the boiler, carrying chunks of coal over their heads and tossing them inside the boiler's fiery maw. Iris watched them for a bit before laying her eyes on the boiler man himself.

Fefnir was a very muscular looking young man, and like Omega, he wore red armor. However, Fefnir's bodysuit was colored red and white, he didn't wear a vest, and he had very broad and thick shoulder armor. In addition, he wore a red and white helmet adorned with yellow spikes resembling fangs. At the moment, he was grinding herbs, and even from her position, Iris could see that he had a scowl on face.

Feeling intimidated, Iris backed away into the shadows of the hallway she was hiding in. It wasn't going to be easy talking to such a scary-looking man, but she knew she had no choice. As she peeked into the boiler room again, Fefnir balled his fist and punched the ground, startling Iris and causing the room to tremble slightly. All of the tiny black puffballs immediately stopped what they were doing and scurried into their holes, whether they were carrying coal or not. Iris decided to take this opportunity to reveal herself and cautiously approached Fefnir.

"Um, excuse me… Hello?" she greeted timidly. "Are you Fefnir?"

"Eh?" Fefnir stopped grinding herbs and turned towards Iris. His burning red eyes scrutinized her. "What's a human girl doing here?"

"Well, um…" Iris swallowed and spewed out her explanation so quickly it sounded like one word. "Omegatoldmetocomehereandaskyouforworkcouldyougive meajobplease?"

Before Fefnir could answer, the sound of a bell rang through the air, and four tags dropped from a chute in the ceiling. Fefnir turned towards the tags and growled.

"_Four_ bath tokens at once? What, do they think I have six arms or something?" He punched the ground again, creating another tremor that caused Iris to yelp in surprise. "Come on, get to work, you little runts!"

Iris glanced behind her at the holes the little black puffballs had come out of, and then Fefnir addressed her, drawing her attention. "Yeah, I'm Fefnir. Slave to the boiler that heats the baths, though I'd much rather be doing something else." He looked towards the holes of the little black puffballs and yelled, "Move it, you stupid soot balls!"

_Soot balls? _Iris mentally repeated. Deciding to dismiss the thought, she pressed, "Please, I have to get a job here!"

"I don't need any help," Fefnir grunted as he resumed his work. "This place is full of soot, so I just cast a spell on it and I have all the workers I need. Although… I suppose I _could_ use you as target practice."

Iris squeaked in terror when Fefnir pulled out a ridiculously large and dangerous looking arm cannon. Why, something with that much firepower would vaporize her in an instant! Fefnir laughed heartily at her reaction.

"You should see your face right now!" he chortled as he put the cannon away. "Don't worry kid, I was just kidding. Besides, it wouldn't be very fun to obliterate such an easy target."

_It didn't sound like you were kidding to me! _Iris thought while sweating bullets. Fefnir resumed his work, and the soot balls began carrying coal to the boiler again. Iris did her best to stay out of their way, but a few of the soot balls bumped into her feet. She apologized to them and carefully stepped over them, finding another place to stand.

One of the soot balls emerging from a hole couldn't carry the coal it held and got squashed under its weight. It squeaked and struggled, but was unable to free itself. Feeling sorry for the poor creature, Iris stooped over and picked up the coal herself. She grunted as she lifted the coal into the air, as it was a lot heavier than it looked. The soot ball dizzily reformed in the place it got squashed. Once it recovered, it scuttled back into its hole.

"What should I do with this?" Iris asked the soot balls. The little creatures couldn't talk, so they merely resumed their work. "Should I leave it here?"

"Finish what you started, human," Fefnir grunted. Iris nodded in understanding and carried the coal to the boiler. The soot balls moved out of the way, creating a path for her. Iris felt sweat gather on her brow as she approached the fiery furnace. The boiler had a single opening covered by a door that constantly swung open and shut, like the jaws of a wild animal. Every time the door opened, heat and sparks from the fire inside showered everything nearby. Iris steeled her nerves and tossed her coal inside the furnace when the door opened. Immediately after doing so, she dashed away from the intense heat and flame. She took several deep breaths, relieved to be away from the fire.

Iris soon noticed that the soot balls had stopped their work and were staring at her. Then, one of the soot balls let go of the coal it held over its head, crushing itself. Iris stared in confusion as the soot ball squeaked and squirmed under the weight of the coal, and Fefnir stopped what he was doing to see what was going on. The rest of the soot balls followed the first one's example and dropped their coal on themselves. The whole room quickly filled with the squeaking of soot balls.

Fefnir angrily punched the ground and glared at his workers. "HEY! What do you idiots think you're doing? Do you _want_ to turn back into soot?!" His burning gaze then fell onto Iris. "And _you_! Back off! You can't just take someone else's job! If they don't work, the spell wears off, and they turn back into soot! There's no work for you here, got it?! Go try somewhere else!"

The soot balls obviously didn't like what Fefnir said because they lifted up their coal again and squeaked angrily in protest. Iris stared at the little creatures in confusion as they gathered up around her as if to protect her.

"You soot balls got a problem?" Fefnir asked. "Get back to work!"

Just then, Iris heard the sound of a door sliding open, followed by a woman's voice. "Chow time! What's going on? Are you guys fighting again?"

"Leviathan," Fefnir grumbled in greeting.

"You've been down here too long, Fefnir. Is that any way to greet your sister?" the newly-dubbed Leviathan asked playfully.

_SISTER?!_ Iris thought in shock.

"Where's your bowl from yesterday?" Leviathan continued as she handed her brother a bowl of shrimp and rice. Fefnir grumbled again and handed her said empty bowl. "I keep telling you to leave it out, Fefnir."

"Meal time! Take a break!" Fefnir announced before digging into his food. The soot balls dropped their coal and happily bounced towards the woman Iris assumed was Leviathan as she approached their holes with a wooden bucket in hand.

Leviathan looked absolutely nothing like her brother. She appeared to be a bit older than Iris and had a lithe, slender build. She was dressed in a blue and white bodysuit, complimented by blue and gold high-heeled boots and blue leather arm guards. She also wore a blue vest with an X design on it. Finally, she had a blue helmet adorned with a light blue scallop in the forehead position and two long fin-like attachments on its back.

Leviathan crouched down and began tossing handfuls of colorful star-shaped candies at the soot balls. The little creatures squeaked happily as they scooped up the treats while Iris watched in amazement. Leviathan finally noticed that someone else was in the room and inhaled sharply when she spotted Iris. The younger girl pressed herself against a wall, trying to make herself look smaller as Leviathan shot to her feet and pointed an accusing finger at her.

"A human! You're in trouble. You're the one everyone's looking for!"

"Take it easy, Levi," Fefnir grunted through a mouthful of shrimp.

"What do you mean, 'take it easy'?!" Leviathan shot back.

"She says she wants to work here, but I've got all the help I need," Fefnir explained. "I like her though; she's pretty gutsy. Would you take her to see Cial? I think she can handle whatever job she's given."

"Are you kidding me? I'm not risking my skin for a human!" Leviathan snapped.

"What if I gave you this energy crystal?" Fefnir presented his sister with a large, shiny blue crystal, and Leviathan's eyes widened in surprise and hunger. "It's a good one."

_That's edible?! _Iris thought as Leviathan's expression turned to one of grudging defeat. _I wonder if it's like rock candy._

Fefnir turned back to Iris and stated, "If you want a job, you'll have to make a deal with Cial. She's the head honcho here."

"Gimme that," Leviathan demanded as she snatched the energy crystal from her brother's hand. She dumped the whole bucket of candies onto the soot balls and addressed Iris. "Come on, human. Better follow me."

Iris nodded shakily in response. She clambered over the coal the soot balls had dropped and quickly made her way towards where Leviathan was placing Fefnir's bowl in her bucket. The blue-armored woman stood up and raised an eyebrow at Iris.

"Can't you even manage a 'yes, ma'am' or a 'thank you'?" she asked in annoyance.

"Ah! Yes, ma'am, thank you!" Iris blurted.

"What a dope…" Leviathan grumbled. "Hurry up, already."

"Yes, ma'am!" Iris scrambled to remove her shoes and was about to leave while carrying them, but Leviathan told her she didn't need shoes or socks. Iris then left her shoes and socks with the soot balls and followed Leviathan out.

"Don't leave without thanking Fefnir, you idiot!" Leviathan snapped when Iris joined her at the doorway. "He's really sticking his neck out for you, you know!"

Iris gasped and quickly turned towards Fefnir, only to accidentally bump her head on the low ceiling. After recovering from the pain, she bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Sir Fefnir!"

Fefnir smiled and gave her a thumbs-up in response. "Good luck, kid!"

Iris lifted her head and crawled out of the boiler room, closing the door behind her. She quickly followed Leviathan, who was already a fair distance ahead.

"We have to go all the way to the top floor. That's where Cial lives," the blue-armored woman explained as Iris caught up. Leviathan entered a room with many large gears inside and quickly glanced left and right to see if anyone was there. No one was, so she gestured for Iris to follow. Iris did so, and her eyes widened as she beheld that the gears were powering a system of elevators. She craned her neck as much as she could, but she was unable to see the top.

_This bathhouse is even bigger than it looks from the outside._

"Hey! Quit gawking and get over here!" Leviathan scolded. Iris snapped out of her daze and saw Leviathan standing in a nearby elevator, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Ah! Coming!" Iris yelped. She joined Leviathan just as the latter enabled the elevator to rise. Iris looked down at Leviathan's boots, and an interesting thought came to her.

"Say, Ms. Leviathan―"

"Drop the 'Ms.'; it makes me feel old," Leviathan interrupted.

"Ah, sorry! Well, um, you said I didn't need my shoes and socks. But then why are you still wearing your boots?"

"It's because I'm a Reploid spirit."

"Reploid?"

Leviathan gave Iris a look of disbelief, but it quickly changed to realization. "Oh right, you're not from my world. Well, when I was alive, I was a type of robot called a Reploid. Reploids aren't like normal robots; we're designed to be as human as you can get. We even have special programs that serve as our souls, which is how I'm even here right now. Most Reploids move on to Cyberspace―Reploid heaven, if you will―but I got recruited by Cial before I could pass on. As for my clothes, the armor you see me wearing is what I was designed with. With the exception of my helmet, I can't take it off."

Iris' eyes widened in shock. All she could manage to let out was a small "Oh." She never would have guessed that Leviathan was a robot! Another interesting thought came to her, and she asked Leviathan how she could have a brother if she was a robot. Leviathan explained that she, Fefnir, and Harpuia all contained the DNA of the same Reploid, so they were related by default.

Iris gave a tiny start when Leviathan mentioned Harpuia. _Harpuia… That's the guy who was looking for me earlier! I hope Fefnir and Leviathan don't get in trouble with him for helping me._

The elevator came to a stop at last, and Leviathan quickly made sure no one was nearby. She then led Iris through a hallway and past a stand where some frog spirits were serving food. They came by another elevator and waited for a female worker to exit before sneaking onto it.

"We're halfway there. Just stay close," Leviathan muttered.

"'Kay," Iris replied. She glanced out of the elevator and was able to observe a few spirits enjoying their baths. The elevator then creaked to a stop in front of a very large and very fat spirit that looked a bit like a vegetable. It wore a pink loincloth and a red hat resembling a giant sake bowl.

Leviathan gasped and gave a slightly nervous and forced smile. "The Radish Spirit! Welcome!"

The Radish Spirit mumbled something unintelligible and pointed upwards.

"Sorry, sir, this elevator doesn't go any higher. You'll have to take another one," stated Leviathan. She exited the elevator with Iris close behind her. They crossed a catwalk, giving Iris a chance to observe her surroundings. On the upper floors, the spirits were walking about, conversing, and having a good time. Down below, she could get a better look at the spirits bathing and basically getting a deluxe spa treatment. Then she glanced behind her and saw the Radish Spirit was following them. She mentioned this to Leviathan, but she just told Iris not to look at the spirit.

They reached the next elevator and had to wait for it to arrive after Leviathan pushed the button. The Radish Spirit approached them, and Iris pressed herself against the wall to try and put as much distance between her and him. While the Radish Spirit didn't seem hostile, she did not like how creepy he looked.

The elevator door opened, and several monstrous-looking spirits emerged from it. Leviathan blocked their view of Iris as they walked out. They were soon followed by a Reploid spirit in blue-green armor who was guiding them to their rooms. The Reploid spirit abruptly stopped and sniffed the air.

"Leviathan?" he asked.

"Whaaaat?" Leviathan drawled loudly as she shoved Iris into the elevator. The Radish Spirit followed after Iris, inadvertently becoming an effective means of keeping the human girl out of sight.

"That smell…" the Reploid stated while sniffing Leviathan. "It's human! You smell just like a human!"

"Oh really?" asked Leviathan. In the meantime, Iris was being pressed up against the wall of the elevator thanks to the Radish Spirit.

"Where's it coming from, Leviathan? Come on!" the Reploid pressed. "You're hiding something, aren't you? Show it to me!"

Leviathan casually reached into her pocket and pulled out the energy crystal. "Is this what you're smelling?"

The Reploid's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Energy…CRYSTAL!"

Leviathan yanked the crystal out high out of the Reploid's reach as he tried to grab it. She sneered at him and said, "Nice try, but I'm saving every last bite for myself."

The Reploid tried to bargain with Leviathan, asking for just one little nibble, but she continued to taunt him by holding the crystal just out of his reach. She then turned towards the elevator and said, "If you want to go up, pull the lever on your right!" To anyone else, it looked like she was speaking to the Radish Spirit, but she was actually addressing Iris. The human girl struggled to squeeze by the Radish Spirit and reach the lever, but with a little effort, she managed to get the elevator moving. Once the doors were safely closed, Leviathan stuffed the entire energy crystal into her mouth and gave the other Reploid spirit a smug smile.

The elevator ride up was quiet except for the Radish Spirit's heavy breathing. Eventually, it came to a stop at a hallway filled with guest rooms. This didn't seem to be the floor the Radish Spirit wanted to be on, because he pulled the lever again and the elevator rose once more.

Iris fiddled with her skirt a bit, feeling uneasy about being so close to the Radish Spirit. She glanced up at her companion's face, but averted her eyes when he made eye contact with her. At last, the elevator stopped again. The two passengers peeked outwards at this floor. It was dark and ornately decorated, with flower patterns covering the walls and large vases placed on the tile floor. Iris guessed this was her stop and left the elevator, while the Radish Spirit retreated back inside. The fat spirit her gave a short farewell bow, and Iris did the same for him as the elevator doors closed.

Iris approached one of the two sets of doors at the end of hall. With every step, she became more nervous, as she knew would soon meet the witch who transformed her parents into pigs. Still, she knew she would have to be brave if she wanted to get herself and her parents out of this mess. Summoning her courage, she reached for the door handle and was about to open it when suddenly the door knocker spoke to her.

"Aren't you even going to knock?!" it spat. Startled, Iris let go of the door handle and stumbled backwards. "You're the most pathetic little girl I've ever seen!"

Iris wasn't sure whether to be shocked at the fact that the door knocker talked to her or upset because it had insulted her. The doors then opened up, revealing a long hallway with more doors that also opened.

"Come in," a female voice beckoned. Iris hesitated as her nerves failed her. Now that she was here, she suddenly had the urge to escape. Before she could make another move, though, the voice spoke again.

"I said, '_Come in_.'" With that, an invisible force grabbed the front of Iris' shirt and yanked her along. Helpless to do a thing, she let the force guide her through the hallways as the many doors shut tight behind her. She was led to a set of smaller doors and tossed inside. She tumbled head over heels onto a soft, ornate carpet and landed in a heap on her face.

_Ow_.

Iris slowly sat up and massaged her head, trying to shake off the pain. She then heard strange grunting noises coming from her right. She looked in the direction of the noise and spotted three large, green heads jumping towards her. Iris yelped and got to her feet as the heads danced around her. She tried her best to escape from the freaky heads, but they never gave her a chance.

"Quiet down, you three. You're making a racket," the same female voice from before ordered. The heads hopped around Iris a little longer before bouncing towards their mistress. Now that her focus was off the heads, Iris was able to better observe the office. It was small and dark, lit only by the fire burning in the fireplace behind her. The upholstery and wallpaper were red with gold accents, and the furniture was made of cherry.

Iris then allowed her gaze to fall on a nearby desk and saw a woman sitting there. The woman was surprisingly young; she looked to be about the same age as Iris. She wore a long black robe accented with white and a black helmet with a white visor and white earpieces. Her hair was long and blond, although not as long as Omega's. She sat at her desk with her visor covering her eyes as she worked on some paperwork.

_So, this is Cial, _Iris thought. Swallowing her fear, she addressed the witch. "Excuse me. I was wondering if you could give me a job."

Cial looked up from her work and removed her visor, revealing a pair of cold blue eyes. She made a zipping motion with her fingers, and Iris found her mouth zipping shut as she did so. She jolted and did everything she could to open her mouth, but her lips acted like they were sealed together.

Cial chuckled in dark amusement at the sight. "I don't want to hear a request as stupid as that. You're just a scared, useless weakling. And this is certainly no place for humans." She picked up a small sack of gold and put it into a nearby chest before closing it. "It's a bathhouse for the spirits. It's where they come to replenish themselves. And you humans always make a mess of things. Like those parents of yours, who gobbled up the food of the spirits like greedy pigs."

Iris flinched slightly at the mention of her piggified parents as Cial continued ranting. "They got exactly what they deserved, and _you_ should be punished, too." Cial's eyes drifted towards the ceiling and she tapped her chin with her index finger as she mused. "You could be a piglet…or perhaps you'd prefer a lump of coal."

Unable to say anything, Iris simply glared defiantly at the witch. She was terrified on the inside, but was equally determined not to show it. Cial chuckled again, confusing Iris.

"Nice job with the brave face, but you're shaking like a leaf," Cial sneered. At this statement, Iris did her best to stop trembling, but it was fruitless. "Actually, I'm impressed you made it this far. But I'm sure you didn't do it on your own. Let's thank whoever helped you. Just who was it? Why don't you tell me?"

Iris wasn't about to answer Cial. She knew that Omega, Fefnir, and Leviathan would get in huge trouble if she did, and it was hardly the way to thank them after they risked so much for her sake. So the instant Cial unzipped her mouth, Iris shouted, "Please, can't you give me a job?"

"Don't start that again!" Cial snapped, slamming her hands on her desk as she did so.

"Please! I just want to work!" Iris continued.

_**"****DON'T…SAY…THAAAAAAAT!" **_Cial's voice gained a twisted quality as the lights in the room dimmed. An ethereal wind formed behind her, blowing papers off of her desk and whipping the window curtains about. Her eyes changed color until they glowed with a demonic red light, and she flew through the air and landed right in front of Iris. Iris wanted to run, but she was frozen in place by shock and fear.

"Why in the world do you think I should give you a job?!" Ciel demanded, getting right into Iris' face. Even though they were about the same height, Iris felt very small and vulnerable before the enraged witch. "Anyone can see you're a lazy, spoiled crybaby, and you have no manners!" With each insult, she jabbed her finger into Iris' chest, and then circled the human girl until she was behind her.

"This is a high-class place I'm running here, so there's no job for you. Now get out! I've got all the lazy bums I need. Or…" Cial's voice lowered to a dangerous whisper. Iris couldn't stop trembling, and a whimper escaped her lips. "Maybe I'll give you the most difficult job I have and work you until you breathe your very last breath!"

Iris whimpered again. Cial's words were so cold, she felt like she was standing in Antarctica in the dead of winter. This woman was dangerous in every sense of the word!

A tremor suddenly shook the room, causing both Iris and Cial to gasp in surprise. Cial's eyes returned to their normal color as several more tremors took place, knocking down anything that wasn't tied down. The sound of babies crying rang loudly through the air, and then suddenly a door hidden behind a set of curtains burst into flames. Then, a blast of ice shot out from the same doorway, freezing another section of the office. Iris and Cial's eyes both widened in shock.

"Oh dear, you woke the baby elves!" Cial cried as she rushed over to the burning door. With a wave of her hand she extinguished the flames and melted the ice, and then she peeked through the curtain and soothed, "Don't worry, Mommy's here! Don't cry now!" She looked back at Iris and growled, "Why are you still here? I told you to leave!"

"I won't! I want you to give me a job!" Iris shouted.

"Be quiet! You're scaring the baby elves!" Cial snarled. Another fireball shot out from the doorway, singing her. "Oh, my precious children, don't be angry!" She cringed as she was hit head-on with a blast of ice, but the crying had mostly died down. "That's my girls."

"I'm not leaving until you give me a job!" Iris yelled.

"Okay, okay! Just be quiet!" Cial hissed, her face coated with frost. She turned back into the room the baby elves were in. "Here comes Mommy! I'm coming to get you two!"

Iris stood stock-still in shock as Cial disappeared into the baby elves' room. She hadn't expected things to turn out quite like this, but at least she got the job. A few moments later, a piece of paper and a pen floated out of the debris and towards Iris. They hovered in place in front of her, and she took them into her hands.

"That's your contract," Cial said. She emerged from the baby elves' room looking very exasperated and disheveled. She waved her hands about, fixing the damage as she continued to speak to Iris. "Just sign your name, and I'll put you to work. But if I hear one little complaint out of you, you'll be joining your parents in the pigpen."

Iris looked at the contract in her hands. "So, I sign my name on this line, right?"

"Just sign it. Do you want the job or not?" Cial groaned. Iris looked around for a place to write for a bit before settling on the floor. In the meantime, Cial continued fixing her workplace and complained aloud. "I can't believe I took that oath. 'Give a job to anyone who asks.' It's ridiculous. I _hate_ being so nice all the time. It's against a witch's code of conduct, for crying out loud!"

_If __**that**__ was her being nice, I'd hate to catch her in a bad mood._

"Are you finished yet?" Without even waiting for Iris to answer, Cial levitated the contract into her hands and examined it. "So, your name is Iris."

"Yes, ma'am."

"What a pretty name…" Iris blushed slightly, embarrassed and taken off guard by Cial's compliment. Then, Cial reached over Iris' signature and used her magic to pull off and change the kanji.

"And it belongs to me, now," she continued, smiling in a sinister manner. "From now on, your name is Thorn, got it? Answer me, Thorn!"

Iris' mind felt strangely cloudy, and she found herself doing exactly as she was told. "Yes, ma'am!" Afterward, her mind was clear again.

At that moment, a familiar deep voice came from nearby. "You called for me?"

Iris' heart skipped a beat and she spun towards the voice. Sure enough, Omega was standing at the room's entrance. Iris was nearly overcome with the urge to run over to him, and she would have followed through if it weren't for the cold look in his eyes.

"This girl signed a contract. Set her up with a job," Cial explained in a bored tone.

"Right," Omega replied, his voice lacking emotion. "What's your name?"

Iris blinked in confusion for a moment, but then realized that if Cial saw that she and Omega knew each other, there would be some huge problems. So she said, "I'm Iri― Oh. I mean, Thorn."

"Okay, Thorn. Follow me," Omega ordered in the same emotionless tone. Iris was hopelessly confused, but did as she was asked. A few minutes later, she rode the elevator down with Omega.

Iris fiddled nervously with her skirt and kept glancing at Omega. The Reploid (as she had guessed he was by now thanks to his armor) was silent and kept his cold gaze on the door in front of him. He didn't give any hints of even knowing her, and he was acting as if being with her annoyed him.

Deciding to break the uncomfortable silence, Iris stammered, "Um, Omega―"

"Don't talk to me," the Reploid interrupted without even glancing at her. "And address me as Master Omega."

Omega's answer was like a punch to the gut. Iris flinched and stared at him in shock for a moment. One of the only people that had been nice to her in this weird world had basically told her to get lost. She lowered her head and kept her eyes on the floor, trying her best not to cry. Omega glanced over at her, and when he saw her crestfallen expression, his steely gaze melted into one of guilt and hurt. He resumed staring at the elevator door, expertly hiding his feelings once again.

The elevator at last came to a stop, and Omega guided Iris into the servants' quarters. Many of the workers were already gathered there, as the word of Iris' employment had spread quickly.

"I don't care if Cial gets angry with us," one worker began.

"We're not taking humans," another stated.

"She's already under contract," said Omega. This caused the workers to yelp in surprise and protest.

"I promise to work as hard as I can," Iris swore as she bowed deeply.

"We're not taking her in our department," a female worker grunted.

"She'll stink up the whole place!" another complained.

"Three days of eating our food and her smell will go away," Omega assured. "And if she doesn't work hard… Roast her, boil her, do whatever you want. Now get back to work! Where's Leviathan?!"

Said Reploid was leaning against a doorframe and frowned when her name was called. "WHAT?! Don't go dumping her on me!"

"Didn't you say you wanted an assistant?" Omega asked. The other workers happily agreed with the proposition.

"Oh, great…" Leviathan groaned. Omega turned to Iris and told her to get going. Iris gave a small start and hurried over to Leviathan. The blue-armored Reploid complained loudly. "Why are you picking on me? You owe me one, Omega, you hear me?" Omega ignored her and walked away without a word. One of the workers teased Leviathan about her predicament, but she ignored them and left the room with Iris following close behind her.

They left the busy part of the bathhouse, and once the coast was clear, Leviathan spun towards Iris with a huge smile on her face. "I can't believe you actually pulled it off!"

"Huh?" Iris was baffled by the female Reploid's sudden mood swing.

"You're such a dope. I was really worried about you," Leviathan continued. "Now stay on your toes, and if you need anything, ask me, okay?"

"Okay…" Iris answered softly. Leviathan noticed her troubled expression and asked what was wrong. Iris mumbled that she didn't feel very well. Leviathan gave her a sympathetic look. Iris had been through a lot in a single day, and Leviathan was amazed that she had held out this long.

"Well, why don't we get you settled in?" Leviathan suggested. "After some food and a good night's sleep, you should feel a lot better." Iris quickly agreed to the suggestion. With everything that had happened, she hadn't realized how tired she actually was.

Day was just beginning to break when Leviathan and Iris reached their room. Leviathan turned on the light and then began searching the closet for a uniform for Iris to wear.

"Here's your apron; you'll have to watch it yourself," Leviathan said as she dropped a blue apron into Iris' arms. "Your pants―" she tossed a pair of pink pants on top of the apron. She began mumbling to herself as she searched for a shirt of the correct size.

In the meantime, Iris thought about Omega. It seemed like every time she saw him, he acted differently.

_What are his true feelings, and what's just an act? There's so much I don't know about him… I wonder if Leviathan knows anything._

"Hey, Leviathan, do you know Omega?" she asked.

"What about him?" Leviathan returned in an annoyed tone.

"There aren't…two of him, are there?" Iris felt silly for even thinking of such a thing, but there had to be _some _explanation for Omega's odd behavior.

"_Two_ Omegas? I can barely stand _one_," Leviathan grunted. She paused as she tossed another shirt aside. "He's Cial's apprentice and henchmen. I'd stick my spear into my own core before I trusted a word he says. At least Harpuia checks in with me and Fefnir every now and then."

Iris felt her heart shatter at Leviathan's words. _Omega is Cial's apprentice? And he has to do whatever she says? Then…was he only helping me because Cial asked him to?_ She felt her eyes burn with tears as she sank to her knees.

Iris' mind was in complete turmoil. Omega had been so kind to her, and when she looked into his eyes, she knew she had witnessed a warmth and compassion that few others got to see. When he had held her against him, she felt so safe, like nothing could harm her. To see him act the way he did in the bathhouse and finding out he was Cial's apprentice was crushing to her.

Leviathan pulled out another shirt, oblivious to Iris' mood. "Ah, there we go! This should work perfectly!" She finally noticed Iris curled up on the floor. Shocked, she bent over and rubbed Iris' back soothingly. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Quiet down… What's going on?" a nearby female worker sleepily asked. She had been aroused by the commotion Iris had made.

"It's the new girl. She doesn't feel so good," Leviathan explained.

As the sun rose, the spirits closed up their shops and turned in. Unlike humans, they were primarily nocturnal.

Atop the bathhouse, Omega and the three green heads watched Cial and Harpuia prepared to leave. Cial opened a door that led to a balcony and stepped outside as Omega and the green heads bowed, bidding her farewell. Cial closed her eyes and transformed into a large purple ball of light before flying off, and Harpuia soon joined her.

The green heads hopped away while Omega closed the doors and turned off the lights. As he left the room, there was only one thought on his mind.

_Iris._

* * *

**LunaClefairy: Niawwww, I'm already loving how cute this is turning out! I don't even care if this doesn't get many reviews or favorites, because I'm having a lot of fun with this!**

**I wanted to put Phantom in this story along with the other three guardians, but I couldn't figure out how to incorporate him… I feel bad about that, but it can't be helped.**


	3. Chapter 3

Iris lied on her sleeping mat and shivered despite the warm blanket she was given. Though it had been several hours since she had gone to bed, she hadn't been able to sleep at all in spite of her exhaustion. Her mind was too wound up for her to properly relax.

Most of her thoughts revolved around Omega. Leviathan's words had left her extremely conflicted. On the one hand, it was thanks to Omega that she had even gotten this far. On the other hand, she had no way of knowing if he did it of his own will or by the will of Cial. Then there was the fact that he knew her name, and he seemed familiar to her as well. None of it made any sense, and Iris was completely clueless as to what to do. She curled up tightly under her blanket, wishing she was back at home with her parents and friends.

Suddenly, the door slowly slid open. Iris froze as she heard footsteps. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, hoping that whoever it was would leave. The footsteps came to a stop, and Iris felt a hand gently touch her shoulder.

"Meet me at the bridge. I'll take you to your parents," a familiar voice whispered.

_Omega?!_

Iris' heart was beating so fast that it was practically audible, but she continued to pretend to be asleep. Omega said nothing more and removed his hand and left. Iris stayed completely still until she heard the door close again. Then she jolted upright and searched for her clothes, but only found the uniform Leviathan had picked out for her.

_Where are my clothes? I know I put them right next to my mat when I went to bed! Maybe someone threw them away._

She pulled on her new uniform's pants and crept out of the room. Then she put on the shirt and quickly scampered down the stairs, through the servants' quarter, and into the elevator that led to the boiler room. She was still unsure about Omega, but the urge to see her parents―regardless of the fact that they were pigs―made the decision for her. Not only that, but she found that she actually wanted to see Omega again. She silently hoped that he would show his gentle, compassionate side rather than his cold, dismissive one.

The elevator came to a stop, and Iris made her way to the boiler room's entrance and opened the door as quietly as she could. She found Fefnir at his station inside, snoring loudly. She couldn't help but giggle a little at him. She then turned to the dip in the floor where the soot balls worked and looked for her shoes and socks, but couldn't find them.

"Where'd my shoes go?" Iris wondered aloud. Hearing her voice, the soot balls exited their holes, and a number of them were carrying her shoes. They brought them right to her, and Iris quietly thanked them as she put her shoes on. Then she stood up and hurried to the green door that led outside. Before she left, she looked back into the boiler room and saw the soot balls quietly squeaking their farewells. She smiled and waved at them before heading outside.

Iris climbed up the stone steps and soon found herself at the base of the unsteady wooden steps. While she was still uneasy about climbing them, she made her way up as quickly as she could. About halfway up the wooden steps, Iris stopped and spotted the pigpens in the distance. She could faintly hear them squealing even from her position and silently hoped her parents were alright.

After a few more moments, she reached the top of the steps and entered the tiny door there. Then she made her way to the front of the bathhouse. She was about to cross the bridge when she spotted the strange masked spirit from the previous night. It was unmistakable; it had the same translucent black body and the same white mask, and it stared at her, its mask showing a smile. Iris couldn't help but feel a little unnerved by this spirit. It had been able to see her even when she was under Omega's invisibility spell.

Iris inhaled deeply to collect herself and quickly began crossing the bridge. The spirit seemed to be watching her, so she bowed to it without stopping her gait as she passed by. Once she was safely on the other side of the bridge, she looked back at the spirit, only to see that it had vanished. She stared at the spot it had been standing at in bewilderment.

_Where did he go?_ Before she could ponder more about the subject, she heard footsteps behind her and turned around to see Omega nearby.

"Follow me," he said softly as he turned around and walked towards the gate in the nearby garden. Iris followed Omega as he led her through the gate. Now that it was daylight, Iris could clearly see that the hedges were lined with countless beautiful flowers. However, she wasn't able to fully appreciate them because she and Omega were walking at a pretty swift pace.

"We don't have much time. If you're found here, you'll be turned into a pig yourself," Omega warned. A moment later, they exited the hedges and stopped on top of a slope that led towards the pigpen. "You must never come here without me. Understand?"

Iris nodded. "I understand."

"Good." Omega offered Iris his hand, and she cautiously took it. She felt a pleasant tingle run up her arm and down her spine the instant she touched him.

_His hand is so…warm. You'd think something made of metal would be cold, but Omega feels warm, like a human._

Omega carefully guided Iris down the steep slope so she wouldn't stumble. Once again, he was trying to protect her. It didn't seem like he was trying to lure her into a false sense of security, either. Iris felt ashamed of herself. Omega was trying to do what he could to help her, and she had doubted him. Even so, she hadn't forgotten what Leviathan said, and there was still a tiny part of her that was unsure.

They stopped at the entrance to the pigpen. The building was dimly lit, and each pen was filled with multiple pigs. Omega pointed out a nearby pen where two particularly fat pigs lied. If it weren't for the steady rising and falling of their bodies, Iris would have thought they were dead.

Iris reluctantly released her hand from Omega's and took a couple steps towards the pen. Those two pigs seemed so familiar. She glanced back at Omega, silently asking him if what she suspected was true. He nodded in response, and Iris gasped and hurried over to the gate of the pen.

"Mama, Papa, are you alright? It's me, Thorn!" The pigs didn't respond to her voice. "Wake up, _please_! Mama! Papa!" Iris' face fell. It seemed that her efforts were for nothing. She felt a warm hand gently rest on her shoulder and turned to see Omega giving her a sympathetic look. All of Iris' doubts about him instantly evaporated; he looked so _sincere_, and she didn't think it was possible to make an expression like that and not mean it.

"What's wrong with them?" Iris asked. "Are they sick or something?"

"No," Omega responded. "They ate too much, so they're sleeping it off. They don't remember being human. So look hard. It's up to _you_ to remember which ones they are."

Iris took in every detail of her parents' pig forms and did her best to commit it all to memory. Seeing her parents in this state was overwhelming, however, and before long, she broke down.

"I promise to get you both out of here! Just don't get any fatter or they'll _eat you_!"

Iris dashed out of the pigpens and into the garden, fighting the tears that had built up. Omega turned to follow her, but not before glancing at the pigs one more time. It wasn't long before he found Iris curled up in ball next to a hedge. He stood next to her, reached into his vest, and pulled out a bundle of clothing.

"Here are your clothes. Hide them," he ordered. Iris lifted her head out of her knees and saw Omega presenting her with her clothes. She quickly took them into arms and hugged them tightly. As she did so, a strange but familiar aroma drifted into her nostrils. It was a bizarre mix of musk and motor oil, and as she inhaled it, her insides tingled. Iris tried to recall where she had encountered the scent before, and then realized that she had last smelled it when Omega had hugged her the previous night. She blushed as she concluded that her clothes were covered with Omega's scent.

"I…I thought they'd been thrown away!" she exclaimed.

"You'll need them to get home," Omega said as he sat down beside her.

Iris noticed something white sticking out of the bundle of clothing and pulled it out. "Hey, my good-bye card is still here." She read the card over. "Iris…"

She furrowed her brow in confusion. That name seemed familiar, but she couldn't recall where she had heard it. All of a sudden, everything came back to her. "Iris! That's _my_ name, isn't it?" She looked at Omega, who nodded in confirmation.

"That's how Cial controls you: by stealing your name," he explained. "So hold onto that card and keep it hidden, and while you're here, you must call yourself Thorn."

"I can't believe I forgot my own name!" Iris exclaimed. "That witch almost took it from me."

"If you completely forget it, then you'll never be able to find your way home," Omega warned. He then stared straight ahead with a sad, faraway look in his ocean blue eyes. "I've tried everything to remember mine."

Pity swelled in Iris' gut. "You can't remember your name?"

"No," he replied, turning back to her. "But…even after all this time, I haven't forgotten yours."

_Omega seems really confident that we've met before. You know, I kind of feel the same way, but I just can't figure out when it could have happened!_

Omega reached inside his vest again and pulled out a lumpy brown package. He unfolded it, revealing a set of three rice balls, and offered Iris one of them.

"Here, eat this," he said. "You must be hungry. I know for a fact you didn't eat anything last night."

"No thank you," Iris mumbled sadly.

"Don't worry," Omega reassured. "I sprinkled crushed energy crystals on them, so they'll help you regain your strength. Not many people know this, but humans can eat and benefit from small quantities of energy crystals. Come on, just eat it."

At last, Iris gingerly accepted the rice ball from Omega and took a small bite. Her eyes widened. It tasted pretty good, and she could already feel some of her earlier exhaustion leaving. She took a larger bite, realizing just how hungry she was. As she continued munching the rice ball, she remembered that the last time she ate was when she had breakfast with her family on the morning of her move.

She thought about her parents, who were now pigs, and her friends back home. She thought of her older brother in the military, who had absolutely no idea about her current whereabouts. She missed them all terribly, and she didn't bother trying to fight the tears that streamed from her eyes as she swallowed a mouthful of the rice ball along with the lump in her throat. She gobbled up the rest of her rice ball and broke down crying.

Omega wrapped a comforting arm around Iris' shoulder and pulled her closer to him. He offered her the remaining two rice balls, and she took one in each hand. She devoured one of them within seconds and burst out sobbing again. When all of the rice balls were gone, Omega took Iris into his arms and allowed her to cry into his shoulder as much as she needed to, just like the night before.

After about ten minutes, Omega led a much calmer Iris back to the bathhouse. The girl would need some sleep before the bathhouse opened in the evening, and if she was caught outside, she would be severely punished.

"I have to go now, but I'll be back to help you again soon," Omega said as Iris passed through the garden gate near the bridge. "Try to stay out of trouble."

Iris smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you, Omega. You're a good friend."

"It's the least I can do," Omega replied. He smiled, sending Iris' heart into a tizzy. Reluctantly, she left Omega's side and hurried across the bridge. Once she reached the other side, she turned around and gasped as she spotted a humanoid figure fly into the sky. The figure had a large pair of batlike wings and black armor, and their silver hair trailed behind them. Iris' eyes bulged in shock, and her throat felt very dry.

"Omega?" she whispered breathlessly. "He looks like…a demon!" In spite of this incredible revelation, Iris was unafraid.

_He may have a different shape, but he's still Omega._

She continued to watch Omega until he was nothing more than a tiny speck on the horizon. Then she hurried back through the side door that led to the boiler room, not noticing the masked spirit from earlier following her.

About an hour later, Fefnir stirred and yawned loudly. He rolled over in order to try to get more comfortable, but saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned sharply towards the soot balls holes and spotted Iris curled up on the ground, fast asleep. Her shoes and socks were left in the dip where the soot balls worked, and the soot balls themselves kept watch over her while she slept. She was using her clothes as a pillow and clutching them close to her body.

Fefnir watched her for a moment before climbing out of his bed with an extra blanket in hand. He draped it over Iris in order to make her more comfortable.

"Poor kid. She's been through so much," he muttered. He turned to the soot balls and ordered, "You runts better keep an eye on her." The soot balls quietly squeaked happily in response as Fefnir climbed back into his own bed and went back to sleep.

As the sun set in the spirit world, a heavy rainstorm loomed over the bathhouse. Cial and Harpuia returned just as sheets of rain began falling on the building and the nearby town. Because of the sudden darkness and rain, the spirits opened their shops early.

Iris had returned to her room just before the rain had started, so no one knew she had been outside. She, Leviathan, and the other female workers all helped put everyone's sleeping mats and blankets away.

"Where were you, Thorn?" Leviathan asked. "I was really worried, you know."

"I'm sorry," Iris apologized. They finished cleaning up the room and made their way down the stairs to begin work for the evening. They passed by a board full of tags showing the names of the servants, and Leviathan and Iris both took their tags to show they were present.

Iris' first job was cleaning the wooden floors for the customers. To do so, she had to bend over with a large rag and move up and down along a lane of flooring. Unfortunately, she wasn't as fast or efficient as the others, and she even slipped and fell a few times.

"Geez, Thorn," Leviathan drawled while Iris dipped her rag in a bucket of water. "Haven't you worked a day in your life?"

"I have, but I've never had to do anything like _this_," Iris replied. "It's harder than it looks!"

A male worker holding a book approached the two women and said, "Leviathan and Thorn, you get the big tub today."

"WHAT?!" Leviathan cried. "Are you kidding me?! That's frog work!"

"The orders are from the top, so quit complaining!" the worker said as he walked away.

"All right, all right…" Leviathan grumbled. "Thorn, dump that water. We're gonna need some fresh soap for this job."

"All right!" Iris picked up the bucket and carried it to a nearby sliding door. She opened the door and poured all of the water into the garden outside. When all of it was gone, she spotted the same masked spirit that she had run into before. Iris felt sorry for it; it was stuck outside in the pouring rain.

"Hello there," Iris greeted politely. While she found it creepy that she kept running into this spirit, it didn't mean that she couldn't be civil with it. "Why are you standing outside in this horrible weather?" The spirit said nothing, choosing to simply stare at her.

"Thorn! What the heck is taking so long?!" Leviathan demanded.

"Sorry, Leviathan! I'll be there in a second!" yelled Iris. Then she turned towards the masked spirit and said, "I'll leave the door open for you." She picked up her bucket and scrambled towards Leviathan. The masked spirit smiled and stepped into the open doorway before vanishing into thin air.

Iris followed Leviathan into the main bathing area. The two of them carried cleaning supplies in their arms, and Leviathan wore a disgruntled look on her face. A female worker teased the Reploid about the fact that she had the big tub, but Leviathan didn't respond to her.

Iris grimaced when they reached the big tub. It was completely covered in weeds and mold, and it smelled awful.

"Those jerks. They haven't cleaned this tub in months," Leviathan moaned. Two workers snickered, enjoying Leviathan and Iris' plight. The two women got right to work, sweeping up and disposing of all the weeds. Then they climbed inside of the tub and began scrubbing with all of their might.

"We only use this tub for our _really_ filthy guests," Leviathan explained. "Ugh, this is disgusting… The sludge is so caked on, it'll take _days_ to scrape off…"

"Leviathan, Thorn, we've got some customers on the way," a worker reported.

"Hey, give us a minute! This is _clearly_ harassment!" Leviathan growled as she threw down her sponge. She then helped Iris climb out of the tub. "We'll have to soak it off. Get an herbal soap token from the foreman."

"Herbal soap token. Got it," said Iris. She carefully made her way down to the floor and hurried to find the foreman.

Meanwhile, Cial sat in her office, admiring her many jewels. She suddenly straightened up as she sensed something.

"Something's coming. I wonder what," she muttered. She swept her jewels into a small chest and opened the window. She squinted and spotted something approaching the bathhouse. "What idiotic scum is slinking around in the rain?"

Out in town, the spirits closed up their shops and turned off their lights. They wanted nothing to do with the approaching stranger. A huge spirit covered from head to toe in muck was passing through town, leaving a trail of goop behind it as it trudged forward.

Back inside the bathhouse, Iris asked the foreman for the herbal soap token, but he refused to help her. Everyone else who requested a token got exactly what they wanted, but the man was adamantly against giving Iris one.

Iris continued to press the man for the token, but he insisted that she scrub the tub herself. Iris frowned, not about to give up. She was about to ask again when she spotted the masked spirit again. It stood right next to the foreman and bowed to her in greeting. Iris respectfully bowed back, earning a confused look from the foreman. He looked to his left, but the masked spirit disappeared.

The foreman's phone suddenly rang, and he answered it. "Foreman speaking. Oh yes… WHAT?!" Without warning, one of the tokens floated out of his stand and dropped into Iris' hands.

"Thank you very much!" Iris exclaimed while bowing deeply. She turned and ran away, even while the foreman shouted at her to stop.

_"What's going on?"_ Cial's voice asked through the phone.

"Nothing! Everything's fine!" the foreman replied quickly.

_"We have an intruder,"_ Cial explained.

"Is it a human?"

_"I'm not sure. Figure it out and report back."_

Iris gave her token to Leviathan. The female Reploid's eyes widened in surprise as she examined it.

"Wow, Thorn, you got a really good one!" she exclaimed. She opened a hidden panel in the wall and attached the token to a cord inside. "I'll just clip this on, give it a tug, and let go." She pulled the cord, which zipped out of sight, and closed the door. "It goes straight to Fefnir, and then he sends us our water."

A hidden chute slid out of the wall and came to a rest a short distance above the tub. A rope with a handle dropped down from the end of the chute. Leviathan climbed to the top of the tub and grabbed the rope. "You pull on this to start the water flowing. Give it a try."

Iris joined Leviathan and grabbed the rope, but lost her footing and slipped down the side. Since she was still holding the rope, though, she inadvertently tugged it enough to get the water flowing.

"You're such a klutz," Leviathan commented as Iris regained her footing.

"Sorry," Iris apologized. "Say, what's in this water?"

"Dried worm salts. It's supposed to be good for you. I wouldn't know for sure, though, because a Reploid like me can't benefit. Anyway, with water this murky, you can't see the sludge," Leviathan explained. She climbed down from the bath and continued, "Yank it again when the bath is full; it'll stop. And you can let go of the rope, now. I'll go get us some breakfast."

"Okay!" Iris yelled as Leviathan exited the room. She let go of the rope and carefully turned around in order to avoid stumbling. To her surprise, she saw the masked spirit standing in the corner of the room.

_Him again? _She took a step closer, but slipped and fell hard on her bottom. She yelped in pain and rubbed her sore areas. The masked spirit walked up to her, and Iris got to her feet.

"Um, sir, the bath isn't ready, yet," she said. The masked spirit held out its hands. It was carrying a large number of bath tokens. It shoved its hands towards Iris, beckoning her to take them. "There's so many… You want me to have them?"

"Uh… Unh…" the spirit grunted while nodding.

"Thank you, but I don't need any more of these," Iris said apologetically. The spirit seemed to not understand, as it presented the tokens to her again. "No, I only needed one of them."

The spirit sighed sadly and vanished right in front of Iris' eyes. All of the tokens it had been holding clattered to the floor, causing Iris to gasp in surprise. Then, the tub began to overflow. Iris yelped and scurried to stop the flow of water.

Cial flew down the stairs towards the bathhouse's entrance, surprising a few workers and patrons.

"Oh, Cial!" a worker exclaimed.

"It's a stink spirit!" Cial growled.

"And apparently it's an extra-smelly one," the worker added.

"He… He's heading straight for the bridge!" another worker cried. Outside, the workers were trying to turn the stink spirit away by saying the bathhouse was closed, but it did not stop. One frog spirit actually fainted from the stench, while the rest of the workers scrambled to find fresh air.

"Something's not right. That doesn't seem like a stink spirit to me," Cial mused. "But we have no choice. Go greet him. Just give him a bath and get him out of here as soon as you can."

In the bathing area, the foreman yelled for everyone to return to their rooms. Workers and patrons alike scrambled to get out. Iris was about to join them when one worker stopped her. "Thorn, Cial wants to see you."

"Yes, sir!" She followed the worker to the bathhouse's entrance, where Cial was waiting.

"Thorn, don't mess this up," the witch ordered. "Take this guest to the big tub and take care of him."

"But I―"

"No buts or I'll turn you into coal!" Cial interrupted. "You hear me?"

"AH! It's here!" a worker cried. Iris and Cial turned towards the doorway while two Reploid spirits ran in, holding their noses. Under the cloth covering the door, Iris could see a pair of enormous feet covered in sludge approaching. A horrid stench rapidly filled the air, causing everyone except Cial and Iris to flee. Iris' stomach turned; the stench was like a dirty public outhouse that had been filled with rotten meat, covered with skunk spray, and left to fester for several days. She instinctively covered her nose and mouth with both of her hands.

"Hands down. You'll insult our guest," Cial whispered in a strained voice. Iris reluctantly obeyed. The stink spirit entered the bathhouse, and the stench grew ten times worse. Cial gagged, but managed to stay at least somewhat composed.

"Look, a valued customer! Welcome to our baths!" she croaked. Iris bowed to the stink spirit, using all of her willpower to not run away or throw up. The spirit held out a slimy, sludge covered hand, and Iris felt her whole body break out in goosebumps.

"Ugh, ah… Oh, it's money!" Cial said in a very strained voice. "Thorn, take the customer's money!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Iris slowly cupped her hands and walked closer to the stink spirit. A large quantity of sludge fell into her hands along with the money, and Iris involuntarily shuddered. She felt bile build up in her throat and swallowed hard, trying to suppress the urge to vomit.

"Don't make him wait!" Cial scolded. "Get him to the bath!"

"This…way…" Iris whimpered. She turned and began leading the stink spirit to the big tub. Everyone else stayed clear out of the way.

Leviathan returned from the kitchen, holding two bowls of rice and two sets of chopsticks in her hands. She made a sound of disgust as the stink spirit's stench reached her nostrils. She soon spotted Iris leading the spirit to the bath.

"Thorn!" she yelled. Iris did not respond, and as the stink spirit passed by, Leviathan got a full dose of its stench. "Ugh! That's disgusting! Thank goodness I don't have a real stomach… I can't imagine how Thorn is feeling right now!" The rice she held turned black and rotted right in the bowl, causing her to give a start of surprise.

"Open all of the windows!" Cial ordered. The workers eagerly followed through. Many of them, both Reploid and organic, now wore cloths over their faces to dampen the stench. Cial looked over a balcony down at the ground floor and saw that the stink spirit had finally reached the big tub.

"Your bath's right here, sir," Iris said. She quickly scooped up her bucket―which now contained the bath tokens she received from the masked spirit―in order for it to not get drowned in slime. The stink spirit climbed into the tub, creating a huge wave of water that rapidly turned a sickly brown and thickened with sludge. Iris was swept off her feet by the wave and fell into the muck.

_Ew, my hair's covered in this goop! I'll have to wash it for days to get the stink out…_

The stink spirit emerged from under the water and examined both of its hands. Then it spotted Iris, moved to the edge of the tub closest to her, and moaned.

"Huh?" Iris blinked, trying to figure out what it wanted. A sudden idea struck her. "Oh! Just a minute, sir!" She wallowed through the muck, trying to find the hidden panel Leviathan showed her.

On the balcony above, Cial cackled. "Disgusting!"

"I don't think it's very funny," a worker commented.

"Let's see what she does next," Cial continued.

"Where is it?" Iris mumbled. "Ah! Found it!" She tugged on the panel, but it seemed to be stuck.

"Look! She wants to refill the tub," Cial sneered.

"Oh no, she's gonna waste all of our good water!" the worker cried worriedly.

"Come on, open!" Iris grunted. She pounded on the panel a bit, and it finally swung open and smacked her in the face. Shaking off the pain, she pulled a bath token out of her bucket, attached it to the cord, and sent it to Fefnir. Cial spotted the bucket of tokens and wondered how Iris had gotten them all.

The hidden chute dropped out of the wall again, and Iris carefully waded through the muck and climbed onto the tub in order to reach the rope. The stink spirit exhaled right into her face, and its breath was somehow even more foul-smelling than its body.

_Don't puke, don't puke, don't puke…_

Iris reached up and tugged the rope, but lost her balance and tumbled into the tub. Water gushed out of the chute, covering the stink spirit and overflowing the tub.

"Oh, no! That's our best herbal formula!" the worker cried.

Iris was stuck headfirst in the sludge that coated the bottom of the tub. She kicked and struggled, desperate to get free. Her lungs were already burning from the lack of oxygen, and she was rapidly growing lightheaded. Just when she thought she would drown for sure, she felt a huge, slimy hand grab her body and gently pull her free. The hand brought her back to the surface, and she coughed and gasped for air.

Iris realized that the stink spirit had saved her from drowning, but she was too disoriented to properly thank it. The spirit brought her close to its body, seeming to want her to do something. Confused, Iris reached under the pouring water and felt something hard sticking out of the spirit's side.

Leviathan rushed into the room wearing a cloth over her face. "Thorn! Thorn! Where are you?!"

"Over here!" Iris shouted back.

"Hang on! Stay right where you are! I'm coming to help you!" Leviathan yelled. She summoned and brandished a long blue spear. "If he does anything to hurt you, I won't be afraid to use this!"

"Wait, Leviathan! I think he needs help! It feels like there's a thorn in his side!" Iris cried.

"A thorn?!"

"I can't get it out!" Iris grunted as she tugged on the offending object. Leviathan dismissed her spear and hurried over to Iris to try and help her.

"What's that? He has a thorn?" Cial asked. She turned to the worker beside her. "Get the staff down there! Step on it!" The worker sprang into action as Cial jumped off the balcony and floated next to Iris and Leviathan. "Listen to me! That's no stink spirit we have here!"

The witch clapped her hands once and summoned a length of rope. She tossed one end of it to Iris. "Grab onto this!"

"Right!" Iris replied as she caught the rope. With Leviathan's help, she was able to tie a tight knot around the thorn. In the meantime, an army of workers lined up and grabbed the rope.

"We've got it tied on tight!" Iris announced.

Cial summoned a pair of paper fans. "Everyone ready on my command! And…HEAVE! And…HEAVE!" With each shout of "heave", everyone who was holding onto the rope yanked as hard as they could. Other workers held fans and helped keep the rhythm of the tugging going. Finally, the thorn started to come free from the spirit's body…only it wasn't a thorn at all.

"A bicycle?!" Iris cried in disbelief.

"I thought so!" Cial exclaimed. "Get ready, now!" The heaving and pulling continued until an enormous pile of junk burst forth from the spirit's slimy depths. The rope pullers scrambled to avoid being crushed by the debris. Only Iris was left, still standing on the edge of the tub. She yanked on a length of fishing line that was still stuck in the spirit until it finally came free with a _pop_.

Something spewed out of the spirit when the last bit of garbage came off. The flow of water from the chute stopped, and Iris heard a great sigh of relief as the spirit's form melted into the water. She yelped as a wave of water surrounded her entirely, grabbing her like an enormous hand. Another wave of water washed over the edge of tub.

"THORN! Thorn, where are you?!" Leviathan cried worriedly.

Iris sat inside the water that held her and stared at the tub. She oddly didn't feel the need to draw breath. The face of a gnarled old man emerged from the water, and it looked very grateful.

**"WELL DONE,"** it rasped loudly. The water released Iris, and she noticed that she was now cradling something in her hands. She looked down and saw that she held what looked like a small black dumpling. She looked back up, realizing she was standing on the edge of the tub again.

Everyone was completely silent for several seconds. Then Cial looked down from her perch and saw little specks of gold scattered about the floor as the rest of the water drained away. All of the workers gasped.

"GOLD!" they all screamed simultaneously. They quickly scrambled and bent over to collect it, even when one person shouted that it was company property.

"Back off!" Cial yelled. "Our guest is still here, you fools!" Everyone stared as the water in the tub started roiling about. Cial floated over to Iris. "Thorn, you're in our guest's way. Step aside."

"Yes, ma'am," Iris answered. She quickly bowed to the spirit and scrambled out of the way.

"Open the main gates! Make way!" Cial ordered. After a few more seconds of bubbling, the spirit burst forth from the tub, laughing heartily. It showed its true form: it had a long, many-legged body and a face identical to the one Iris had seen rise out of the water. Now revealed to be a river spirit, it flew out the doors and into the night.

Cheering filled the bathhouse at the great success. Cial dashed over to Iris and hugged her tightly. "Thorn, you did wonderfully! We made so much money!" She released the dazed Iris l before continuing. "That spirit is rich and powerful. Everyone, learn from Thorn, here! Sake is on the house tonight! But first, hand over all the gold you picked up."

The cheering turned to booing when Cial asked for the gold. Nonetheless, the witch was in charge, and she took all of the gold.

A party was held, and it went on well into the night. People danced, sang, and drank sake to their heart's content. Iris, who wasn't big on parties, returned to her room after a short while. She sat on the balcony and looked out at the sky. The rain had since stopped, leaving a beautiful moonlight sky.

_Omega hasn't come back yet… Where is he?_

Leviathan arrived after a short time, carrying a plate of dumplings. She sat down next to Iris and handed her one. "Here, I swiped a dumpling for you."

"Thank you."

"What a day…" Leviathan sighed and lied down on her side before biting into her dumpling.

"Leviathan… Have you seen Omega?" asked Iris.

"Omega _again_?" Leviathan groaned. She paused to munch on her dumpling. "He just disappears sometimes. Rumor has it that he runs around doing Cial's dirty work."

"Is that true?" asked Iris.

"Lights out, Leviathan!" a woman called from inside the room.

"Fine…" Leviathan called back as the lights turned off.

Iris continued to look out at the horizon. Water covered the land as far as she could see, and it glistened under the light of the moon. The train ran by underneath her, performing perfectly in spite of the conditions.

"There's so much water. It's like we're in the middle of the ocean," Iris noted.

"What did you expect? It rained enough," said Leviathan. She took another big bite out of her dumpling. "I gotta get myself, Fefnir, and Harpuia out of this place. Someday, we're getting on that train. Then maybe we can all pass on at last. I'm sure Phantom's getting impatient."

"Phantom?"

"Our fourth sibling. Unlike the rest of us, he wasn't caught by Cial and moved on to Cyberspace."

"I see…"

Iris stared at her hands. She held her dumpling in one and the river spirit's gift in the other. She smiled fondly; she finally had a way for her to possibly help her parents. She bit into her dumpling again, savoring its flavor. Then she brought the river spirit's gift to her nose and sniffed it. It didn't smell like anything, so she took a tiny bite out of it. Almost as soon as it touched her tongue she grimaced and spat the chunk back out. Then she furiously gobbled her dumpling in order to try and get rid of the bad taste.

"What's the matter?" asked Leviathan.

"Nothing!" Iris replied through a mouthful of food.

Deep within the darkness of the bathhouse, the small kimono-wearing frog spirit searched the area around big tub for any gold that might have been left behind. The masked spirit Iris had met stood in the tub and watched him. Then, it dropped a single piece of gold in front of him. The frog greedily snatched it up.

"Ahhh! It's gold!" he exclaimed. He looked up and saw the masked spirit waving at him. "What do you think you're doing? You're not allowed in there! The bath's closed! Get out, you! Get out of there!"

The masked spirit held out its hand. Two more gold pieces magically formed in it and dropped on the floor. The frog quickly grabbed them as well. "Oh, more gold! Are you… Are you… Are you giving them to me?"

The masked spirit moaned softly and formed a handful of gold. The frog's eyes bugged out in shock. "Wait, you can make gold?!" The masked spirit tossed the gold into the air and caught it, beckoning the frog to come closer. He did so, and when he was about to snatch all of the gold, the masked spirit grabbed him and tossed him into a large mouth located just below its mask.

Another worker came by the baths. "What's going on in there? It's way past bedtime! Come on!" When he reached the big tub, several gold pieces dropped onto the floor. Then he heard a strange croaking noise and saw the masked spirit standing on one of the barriers separating the baths. It now had froglike legs and held a handful of gold.

"Hey boss, up here!" the spirit shouted. It used the frog's voice to talk. "I'm hungry! _Starving_! And I want _you_ to serve me!"

The worker gasped. "I know that voice!"

"Here, I'll pay you up front," the masked spirit said as it dropped gold into the worker's hands. "And…I want to take a bath, too! Why don't you wake everyone up?"

* * *

**LunaClefairy: In the end, I did figure out how to at least mention Phantom. I feel pretty good about that. Also, in case you haven't noticed, Omega/Zero has taken on his Absolute Zero form from Command Mission. Someone on deviantART made a REALLY awesome version of Absolute Zero for his MMZ design, and that's how I imagine him here. Just copy the URL, remove the spaces, and replace the (slash) with /.**

**alexreyna . deviantart . com (slash) art (slash) absolute-zero-211890694**

**Also, HURRAY FOR ZERO/IRIS FLUFF! Believe me, there's gonna be a lot more of that in the chapters to come. Even my sister became convinced these two were a cute couple, and she's not even a Mega Man fan!**


	4. Chapter 4

Iris rushed through the garden as quickly as she could. Even though Omega wasn't around, she was overcome with the urge to help her parents. She sprinted into the pigpens, clutching the river spirit's gift tightly in her hand. Then she ran up to the gate of her parents' pen and held out the tiny dumpling.

"Papa! Mama! I got a gift from the river spirit! Maybe if you eat it, it'll break the spell!" she shouted. Every pig in the whole building lifted its head at Iris' voice. They all started squealing, and the next she knew, pigs were all around her.

"Wh-which ones are you?!" Iris asked, beginning to panic. She couldn't recognize any of the pigs, and all of them were squealing and trying to get the river spirit's gift. She held it high out of their reach and called for her parents, but she still couldn't spot them.

Iris awoke with a start. She quickly looked around and found that she was lying on her sleeping mat. She sighed in relief. "It was just a bad dream…"

She looked to her left and noticed that Leviathan's mat was empty. "Leviathan?" As she sat up, she saw that _everyone_ was gone. "Where is everybody?"

Iris quickly got dressed and tied her hair back. She walked out onto the balcony and was able to get a better look at the water below now that there was daylight. Then she looked over at the pigpens out in the distance.

"That's Mama and Papa's pigpen," she muttered. "I hope they're doing alright." She glanced up at the smokestack and saw smoke rising from it. "Fefnir lit the boiler already? Oh no, I hope I didn't oversleep!"

Iris hurried to the servants' quarters and found the place to be in chaos. People were rushing up and down the stair, cooking food, and shouting orders at each other.

"Hey, Thorn!" Leviathan greeted.

"Oh, Leviathan! Good morning," said Iris.

"I was just coming to wake you up. Look." Leviathan showed Iris a piece of gold. "It's real gold! There's a new guest here who's loaded, and he's giving gold away by the handful!"

Downstairs, the masked spirit sat in the big tub and devoured every piece of food he was given. He slurped up a huge bowl of sake and tossed it behind him. "Just keep the food coming! I want to eat _everything_!" He tossed a whole bunch of gold pieces into the air, and everyone rushed to pick them up.

"Hmm… Who's the guest?" Iris wondered.

"Who cares? Come on, before Cial wakes up!" Leviathan beckoned.

"Thanks, but I'm going to go look for Omega," Iris replied.

"Ugh, will you quit worrying about Omega already?" Leviathan groaned. "C'mon, Thorn, let's go get some gold!"

"C'mon, Leviathan, let's go get some more!" another female worker exclaimed.

"You bet!" Leviathan giggled as she ran off with her fellow employee. Iris watched the servants run around for a little while longer before climbing back upstairs. She walked onto the balcony and looked at the pigpens again.

"Omega, where are you?" she asked. She folded her arms on top of the wooden railing and rested her head on top of them. "I really miss you… And I don't want to forget what my parents look like. I hope Papa hasn't gotten too fat."

Iris continued staring out at the water for a while. All of a sudden, a sound like paper flapping in the wind reached her ears. She gasped as she saw a black figure fly by. It was being assaulted by what looked like a flock of tiny white birds.

Iris squinted to try and get a better look. "Wait, isn't that―"

The black figure looped around and swiped at the birds with its huge claws, but more of them assaulted its back. The figure seemed to grow exhausted and plummeted into the water below.

"It's Omega! He's back!" Iris cried. Omega launched himself out of the water and tried again to escape from his assailants. "Why are those birds chasing him?!"

Omega flew straight upwards and zipped right past the place Iris was standing. The girl was forced to back away to avoid being struck. The birds continued their pursuit of Omega, and as they zipped by, Iris heard the sound of paper rustling again, only a hundred times louder.

As Omega continued his flight, Iris screamed, "Omega! Hang in there! You can beat 'em!" Then she noticed that the Reploid's body was covered with numerous large gashes and inhaled sharply. "No… He's hurt! Omega! This way!"

Omega seemed to hear Iris, because he flew directly at her. The girl scrambled out of the way to avoid being tackled, and Omega crashed through the sliding doors into the room behind her. Iris hurried to close the glass screen doors. The birds slammed into the doors and Iris' body as she struggled to shut them out. She shrieked and flailed around as she tore the birds off of her body. Once she calmed down enough, she realized the "birds" weren't birds at all.

"Why…it's just paper!" she exclaimed. The paper birds drifted away, seeming to have given up on Omega. Iris watched them fly off, and then turned back into the room. Omega growled in an animalistic fashion, and bloodlike fluids were dripping out of the gashes in his body.

"Omega… You're bleeding badly!" she cried.

"I…ris…" Omega croaked. Iris could see that his eyes were now a poisonous yellow.

"Hold still!" she pleaded. "Those paper things are gone! You're safe, now!"

"Get…away…" Omega lunged forward, claws bared, and Iris only barely managed to escape. The Reploid then flew out onto the balcony and soared higher, splattering fluids everywhere. Iris followed Omega outside and placed her hands on the balcony's railing, not caring that it was soaked with Omega's blood. She looked upwards and saw Omega fly into the window of Cial's office.

"He flew into Cial's room! I have to get there before he bleeds to death!" Iris cried. She ran as quickly as she could off the balcony, into a hallway, and up a set of stairs. She didn't notice that a single paper bird had stayed behind. The bird lifted off the ground and pressed itself against Iris' back in order to hitch a ride.

Deeper inside the bathhouse, the servants were still practically worshipping the masked spirit. They created a long straight path for him to walk on, and one worker danced and sang while hold a pair of paper fans.

"Welcome the rich man! He's hard for you to miss! His butt keeps getting bigger, so there's plenty there to kiss!"

As the masked spirit climbed the stairs, everyone bowed to him and said, "Welcome, rich man!"

"Beg for tips! This is the time!" the dancing worker shouted. Everyone held out tip boxes and begged the masked spirit for more gold as it lumbered along. Around this time, Iris arrived in the room. She had no idea what was going on, but she also didn't care. Her only thought was to save Omega. She squeezed through the crowd as quickly as she could in order to reach the elevator. When she got there, she accidentally ran right into another worker.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" he demanded as he grabbed Iris' wrist.

"Going upstairs!" Iris replied quickly.

"No, you're not!" the worker growled. Then he saw that Iris' hand was covered in Omega's blood. He freaked out and released her, enabling her to escape. In her panic, she accidentally ran onto the path the masked spirit was walking on.

"Get out of the way! Our guest is coming through here!" the dancing worker yelled.

Iris instantly recognized the masked spirit and bowed deeply to him. "Thank you very much for helping me before!"

"Don't talk to him, you stinking hu―AAAHHH!" The worker cut himself off and screamed as the masked spirit grabbed him by his shirt collar and tossed him aside. Iris gave a start of shock as the worker crashed into several other people. Then the masked spirit bent down and cupped its hands, forming a huge quantity of gold in them. All of the workers gasped as the spirit encouraged Iris to take the gold.

Iris shook her head, confusing the spirit. "I appreciate this gift, but I can't accept it." The masked spirit recoiled in shock and disbelief. It trembled, causing the gold pieces to fall on the floor.

"I'm sorry, but I'm in a really big hurry!" Iris exclaimed. She ran off, and the masked spirit dropped all of the gold on the floor. All of the servants lunged for the gold, hoping to take some for themselves. Iris barely managed to squeeze out of the chaos and into a hallway.

The dancing worker whacked people over the head and scolded them, sending them all scattering. He then approached the masked spirit and began to apologize. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir! You'll have to excuse the girl. She's just a human."

The masked spirit bent down so its mask was level with the worker. "Wipe that smile off your face!" The worker stared at the spirit, his eyes wide in disbelief. "You're still smiling!"

The masked spirit opened its enormous mouth, grabbed the dancing worker and a nearby female employee, and swallowed them both whole. Seeing this, the rest of the servants screamed and ran for their lives.

Iris decided to make her own path to Cial's room since she couldn't use the elevator. She opened a window and climbed onto a nearby roof. The steep slope made her stumble, but she caught herself quickly and climbed back up. She spotted a narrow-looking pipe that led to a ladder she could climb. Iris hesitated, as the pipe was thin and probably wouldn't hold her weight well, if at all.

_This is crazy… Maybe I should just wait for an elevator…_

Then she remembered why she was doing this in the first place. She glanced down at her hand, which was still crusted with Omega's blood.

_No! This is no time to be afraid! If I don't hurry, Omega will die!_

Iris quickly tied her shirt up with her sash and then pulled up the legs of her pants so she wouldn't trip. She steeled her courage and ran as fast as she could. The pipe groaned the instant her foot hit it and she could feel it sag under her weight as she dashed across. Seconds later, the pipe's supports broke off, one by one, and the structure swung dangerously away from the building. Iris continued running and fought to keep her balance until she at last reached the ladder. She grabbed onto it and clung to it for dear life as the broken pipe creaked below her.

Iris allowed herself a few seconds to compose herself before slowly climbing the ladder. _Hold on, Omega! I'm coming!_

It was a long climb, and Iris was forced to stop at one point due to exhaustion. She panted heavily, trying to catch her breath. The paper bird on her back suddenly tapped the back of her head, and she turned around, only to see Cial in her light form flying towards her.

"Oh no, it's Cial!" Iris cried. She redoubled her efforts and climbed as fast as she could until a stone balcony hid her from Cial's view. At the top of the ladder was a glass window, but it was locked. Iris frowned and determinedly punched the window, trying to break it open. When that didn't work, she slammed her entire body against it with all her might, but the window still didn't budge. Meanwhile, the paper bird that she had unknowingly carried slipped inside through a crack in the window and unlocked it, causing Iris to fall unceremoniously inside.

After regaining her senses, she hurried out of the bathroom she had landed in and into the hall. The hall was full of mirrors, confusing her.

_Where's Cial's room?!_

Unsure of where to go, Iris made a left and soon found herself in what looked like a nursery. It was very colorful and brightly decorated, and pillows and cushions covered almost every surface. Iris began looking around the room and passed by a bed covered in pillows and plush toys.

_Could this be where Cial's baby elves live?_

Suddenly, Cial's voice came through a curtain on one end of the nursery. "We're in a big mess." Iris hurried towards the curtain and peeked through the door behind it, hoping to see and hear what was going on in Cial's office. The witch was talking into the skull that served as her phone.

"I found out who our rich customer is," Cial continued. "He's a Noh-Face! It's all your fault! You're so greedy, you attract terrible guests! …All right, I'm on my way. Don't let him eat anyone else until I get down there!" The skull made a _ding_ as she hung up, and then she turned towards another area of her office.

"Ugh, Omega's bleeding all over the carpet!" she groaned. Iris' heart froze at the news. "I can't _stand_ the stains left by Reploid cooling fluid! Get him out of here; he'll be dead before long anyways."

She turned around and headed straight for Iris' hiding place. The human girl panicked and ran back into the elves' room. She looked left and right, trying to find a place to hide, and finally decided to dive into a nearby pile of pillows. She slipped out of sight just as Cial entered the nursery.

Cial eyed the very pillow pile Iris had hidden herself in and began tossing the pillows away. Eventually, she found two small balls of light buried within the pile. The lights grew a bit brighter and began to moan softly like human children.

"Aww… Hello, my sweeties! Hiding under the cushions again?" Cial cooed. The lights began to cry, and Cial backed off a bit. "Oh, I woke you up and you were sleeping soundly! I'm sorry! Let me give you both a kiss!" She smooched both of the lights and covered them with pillows again. "Go back to sleep, now."

Cial picked up several of the stuffed toys scattered about the room and tossed them onto a sofa. Then she flipped a light switch, and the sun mural on the ceiling changed to a moon as the room darkened. She left the room, using her magic to close the curtains behind her.

Iris waited for several seconds after the lights turned off before making her escape. Before she completely emerged from the cushions, however, she felt two small forces grab her left wrist and forcefully yank her back inside.

"Hey! Let me go!" she cried. She soon saw what had taken her captive. Two small balls of light―one red, one blue―had latched onto her wrist and held her with surprising strength.

"W-whoa, you must be the baby elves!" Iris exclaimed. "Would you mind letting go of me? I'm in a really big hurry!"

"We've caught a germ, Crea," the red ball of light said in a soft, childish voice.

"Yes, a bad germ from outside, Prea," the blue ball spoke back.

"H-hey! I'm not a germ, I'm a human!" Iris protested. "Now, will you two please let me go?"

"If we let her go outside, she'll get sick, won't she, Crea?" Prea asked.

"That's right, Prea," Crea returned. "So stay here and play with us, human."

"Hey, going outside won't make you sick," Iris argued.

"Yes, it will," said Prea.

"That's why we have never left this room," Crea added.

"Staying here is what'll make you sick!" Iris retorted. "Listen. Someone very important to me is terribly hurt! I have to go help him right away! So please, let go of me!"

"If you go, we'll cry, and then Mama will hear us," Crea warned.

"And then, Mama will kill you," Prea finished.

"Now play with us, or you will freeze," Crea threatened.

"Now play with us, or you will burn," Prea echoed. The baby elves glowed intensely, and Iris' wrist was overwhelmed with simultaneous scorching heat and freezing cold.

"Stop that! It hurts!" Iris screamed. "I promise to play with you later, okay?"

"No! We want to play _now_!" the baby elves growled simultaneously. They glowed even brighter, and Iris' face twisted with pain. Getting an idea, she shoved her bloody right hand forward so it was in full view of the baby elves.

"Look! I've got germs, see?!" she shouted. The baby elves instantly released her and cried loudly. Iris squirmed away and freed herself from the cushions and then burst into Cial's office. Her heart froze when she spotted Omega lying lifelessly on the carpet just inches away from a huge hole in the floor. His hair was soaked with blood and splayed all around him like a pool of liquid silver. His wings were ragged and punctured, an obvious result of the paper birds' assault. Cial's three green heads were next to him and seemed to be pushing him towards the hole.

"OMEGAAAAA!" Iris screamed at the top of her lungs as she bolted across the room. "What are you three doing?! Get away from him!" After shooing the heads away, she knelt by Omega's side and lifted his upper body slightly, being careful of his wings. His head lolled back and he made no response.

"Omega, you've got to wake up! Please, open your eyes!" Iris pleaded. The green heads kept grunting nearby, and Iris sharply turned towards them and snapped, "Shut up, you freaks! OMEGA!"

Iris saw something out of the corner of her eye and ducked just in time to avoid being clipped by a green blur. The blur came to a stop and landed a short distance away. It was a male Reploid wearing a green and white bodysuit and green and gold armor. He wore a shirt with an X-design, like Leviathan, but his was green. His green helmet was decorated with two large wings and white spikes on either side of his head.

"You're…Harpuia…" Iris breathed.

"Step away from Omega, Thorn," Harpuia ordered.

"I won't!" Iris shouted defiantly.

"You fool," Harpuia growled. "Just look at him. He's as good as dead already. You could save him a lot of trouble if you allowed me to give him a merciful death."

Iris maintained her defiant glare. "You aren't going to lay a finger on him!"

Harpuia closed his eyes in resignation. "All right… You leave me no choice." In the blink of an eye, he flew next to Iris and kicked her _hard _in the temple, sending her flying. Iris screamed as she crumpled to the ground in another part of the room. She whimpered and cradled her head, which began to bleed a little.

"Fefnir and Leviathan were right about you. You're tough, for a human," Harpuia noted. Meanwhile, the three green heads slowly began pushing Omega's body towards the hole again. Iris pushed herself off the ground, trying to ignore the pain.

"Leave…him…alone!" she yelled. Just then, Crea and Prea entered the room. The green heads stopped pushing Omega in surprise, and even Harpuia gave a start.

"The baby elves!" he exclaimed. Iris took advantage of the distraction and staggered back over to Omega. Crea and Prea floated towards her and glowed dangerously.

"We aren't afraid of germs anymore, are we Crea?" Prea asked.

"No we aren't, Prea," Crea replied. "Now human, play with us, or we'll cry and let Mama know!"

"No! Don't cry!" Iris protested.

"Play with us right _now_!" the baby elves demanded. They began crying loudly, causing everyone else to panic.

"Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!" Iris pleaded.

Just then, the paper bird that had been riding Iris suddenly lifted up and started speaking with Cial's voice. "Oh, what spoiled brats…" It flew up in front of the baby elves and continued, "Be quiet, you two."

Crea and Prea stopped their crying as the paper bird flew over to the ground nearby. A translucent woman suddenly popped out of the ground around it, and she looked extremely similar to Cial. She had the same blue eyes and blond hair as Cial, but she instead wore a black bodysuit and a pink vest similar to Omega's. She also wore white gloves, pink high-heeled boots, and a pink and white helmet with a white visor, and her hair was held up in a ponytail.

The woman examined herself and tutted. "Still see-through…"

"Mama?" the baby elves asked.

"How sad," the Cial lookalike sighed. "You two can't tell me apart from your own mother?" She extended her index finger and made a tapping motion at the elves, and they were instantly turned into two mice. Crea had blue fur and Prea had red fur.

"There. I think that form is more suitable," the Cial lookalike said with a smirk. The she turned and asked, "Let's see… What else can we mess with?"

Harpuia jolted and prepared to charge at the witch with the intent of stopping her, but with a mere wave of her finger, she transformed him into a tiny fairylike creature. Startled by the sudden change in his body size, Harpuia plopped onto the floor. Then, the Cial lookalike forced the three green heads to merge into one ball of light, and then split the ball in two, creating perfect copies of the baby elves.

Iris' eyes bugged out in amazement at what had occurred. The Cial lookalike snickered and turned to her. "This is our little secret. Tell anyone and I'll rip your mouth out."

"Who are you?" Iris asked.

"My name is Ciel. I'm Cial's twin sister," the witch replied as she walked up beside Iris and Omega. "It was nice of you to lead me right to this Reploid's hiding place. Now, hand him over to me."

"What do you want with him?!" Iris demanded, shielding Omega's body with her own. "He's badly hurt!"

"It serves him right," Ciel scoffed. "He stole my special gold data chip. It's dangerous and powerful, and I want it back!"

"You're lying! Omega wouldn't steal! He's a good person!" Iris defended.

Ciel sighed in exasperation. "You truly know nothing, do you?"

"Huh?"

"There is _nothing_ good about Omega. His original purpose, ingrained into his programming, is to kill anyone who gets in his way. And kill he did. He became known as the God of Destruction for how merciless he was. Countless Reploids died by his hands…including the girl he loved."

Iris gasped in horror. "No… It can't be true!"

"But it _is_ true. The whole reason he became my sister's apprentice instead of moving on to Cyberspace was to repay for his sins. But no amount of repentance can change what he was built to do or bring back the lives he took. Just look at that form! It shows what he truly is: a monster."

"He's _not_ a monster!" Iris cried as tears built up in her eyes.

"Step aside, girl," Ciel ordered. "I need to take my chip back. It has a magic spell on it, and anyone who steals it will die."

"No, you can't!" Iris screamed. Suddenly, a huge explosion rang out as the fake Prea launched a fireball. Then, the fake Crea unleashed a blast of ice. The real Crea and Prea as well as Harpuia scampered for their lives and climbed onto Iris' shoulders.

"You fools! What do you think you're doing?!" Ciel demanded. "Keep quiet! I don't want my sister coming in here!"

Omega suddenly stirred and groaned, drawing everyone's attention. He swiped out with his claws and slashed the paper bird still on the floor.

"Ow, a paper cut…" Ciel grunted as her image shredded and disappeared. The recoil from the attack pushed Omega backwards, causing him to slide into the hole in the floor.

"Omega, we're fallLLINGAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Iris screamed as she was pulled along with Omega into the hole. Crea, Prea, and Harpuia clung to her shirt for dear life. All of them plunged headfirst into darkness, and Iris knew they would fall to their deaths if she didn't do something. Her arms gently encircled Omega's neck, and she called his name.

Just when it seemed like they would crash into the ground, Omega's eyes snapped open as he held Iris tightly against his body. His spread his tattered wings and righted himself before flying into a nearby air vent. Iris clung tighter to his neck, trusting him with her life. They reached the other end of the air vent and smashed through a fan, ending up in the boiler room. Iris and Omega lost their grip on each other and flew to opposite ends of the room.

Iris screamed and landed square on Fefnir's chest, while Omega crashed into the drawers that held the herbs. Harpuia floated downwards from the vent, carrying the transformed baby elves.

"What the heck is going on?!" Fefnir demanded as Iris scrambled off him.

"Omega! Are you all right?!" Iris cried as she raced to the fallen Reploid's aid. He thrashed about, claws tearing into the shelves and the remains of the fan. He soon grew exhausted and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"What's wrong with you?" Iris asked worriedly.

"Stay…away…" Omega moaned weakly. "Vi…rus…" His eyes slid shut and his breathing grew increasingly shallow, sending Iris into a panic.

"H-he's dying!" she cried.

"This isn't good," Fefnir observed as he joined Iris at Omega's side. The baby elves and Harpuia sat on his helmet. "It looks like he's been badly corrupted."

"Corrupted?!"

"All of his systems are shutting down. It won't be long before he's gone for good," Fefnir explained gravely.

"What should we do?!" Iris cried.

"Unless you have something that can delete the virus and repair the damage, there's nothing we can do."

"Well, we have to try _something_!" Iris said determinedly. She propped Omega up against the wall of drawers and pulled the river spirit's gift out of her pocket. "Omega, I got this gift from the river spirit! Eat it; maybe it'll help!" She began to use all of her strength to try and pry Omega's mouth open. "Please, open your mouth! You have to eat it!"

She used her teeth to tear off about a third of the black dumpling and persuaded Omega to eat the smaller chunk. Fefnir watched, intrigued. "Medicine from the river spirit…"

"Come on, open your mouth," Iris grunted as she continued to pry. Slowly, Omega's mouth opened. "That's it!" Once there was enough space to stick her fingers inside, she stuffed the medicine into his mouth and shut his jaws. "Good! Now swallow!"

Omega began to struggle again, and Iris fought to hold him down. "Just hang in there! I know it tastes awful, but it should help you!" Omega heaved and coughed violently, and a moment later, he spat up a tiny black blob. It flew through the air, bounced once, and landed with a _plop_ in the soot balls' workplace.

"Thorn! Look there!" Fefnir shouted as he pointed at the black blob. Iris spun around and saw most of the black goop vaporize, leaving a tiny golden data chip. A black slug formed from the remaining goop, and it quickly grew frightened and wriggled away.

Iris' eyes widened at the data chip. "Ciel's golden chip!"

"Get that black slug!" Fefnir ordered. "Over there! Get it! Get it!"

Iris picked up the data chip and chased the slug all over the soot balls' workplace. It was very fast for something so small. It tried to escape into the soot balls' holes, but the soot balls blocked the openings with their bodies and squeaked angrily at it. Iris repeatedly attempted to step on the black slug, and after a few seconds, she squashed it under her foot. Every hair on her body stood up as her eyes bugged out at the texture of the smashed slug. She lifted her foot and saw that it was covered in goop.

"You killed it?!" Fefnir yelped. "Those things are bad luck! Hurry, before it rubs off on you! Put your thumbs and forefingers together and…evil, begone!" Iris did as she was told, and Fefnir wedged his hand between her fingers as he finished his chant.

Iris showed Fefnir the chip and said, "Omega stole this data chip from Cial's sister."

"Ciel's special gold data chip!" the boiler man exclaimed. "That's as powerful as it gets! No wonder Omega was so corrupted!"

Iris hurried over to the unconscious Omega. The Reploid's armor changed back to its normal red color, his hair regained its golden sheen, and his wings and claws vanished.

"Look, he's changed back!" Iris exclaimed. "Fefnir, help me! I don't think he's breathing!" She lifted Omega into her arms and called his name, pleading for him to wake up.

"It looks like his systems haven't fully recovered from the damage, yet," Fefnir observed. He quickly prepared a mat for Omega to lie on and then had him drink a medicinal fluid made of herbs and crushed energy crystals. Iris gently laid him down on the mat and noted with relief that he was breathing again.

"That should make him more comfortable," said Fefnir. "Poor Omega. He's been through more than most Reploids can even imagine."

"Ciel told me he was called 'The God of Destruction' when he was alive," Iris recalled.

"And she was right," Harpuia spoke up as he floated off Fefnir's helmet.

The boiler man's eyes bugged out. "Is that _you_, Harpuia?!" He burst out laughing and pointed at the transformed Reploid. "_That's_ a new look!"

Harpuia huffed, obviously feeling humiliated. "It's not like I _wanted_ to turn into a Cyber Elf. In any case…" He flew over to Iris. "Thorn. I apologize for my earlier actions. When Cial gives an order, I have no choice but to follow. Is your head alright?"

Iris' gently touched her injured temple. "It still hurts a little, but I feel a lot better than before. Now, please tell me: what do you two know about Omega's past?"

"Sit down; this might take a while," Harpuia requested. Iris did so. "Now, then. It _is_ true that Omega's original purpose was to kill indiscriminately. However, something happened to him that changed that."

"What was it?"

"When Omega was first built, a virus was implanted into him," Fefnir explained. "The virus was designed to amplify his strength and override his reasoning circuits so he would have no qualms about taking lives. And even if he failed to kill a Reploid, the virus would spread to the survivor and infect them as well. However, during one fateful battle, the virus was somehow completely transferred to another Reploid named Sigma."

"Then…what happened to Omega?" Iris wondered.

"A group of Reploids recovered and repaired him," Harpuia answered. "Afterwards, the Reploids found that he had lost his memory. Since he was so powerful, however, he was recruited into a special group of Reploids that destroyed those infected by the virus: the Maverick Hunters."

"I see. So most of the killing Omega did was to try to preserve the peace!" Iris realized.

"While that is true, there are several Reploids Omega regrets killing," Harpuia added.

"I remember. Ciel said Omega killed the girl he loved. But why did he do it?" Iris wondered.

"It's not a pretty story," Fefnir grunted. "The girl was a Reploid that was affiliated with Repliforce, a group that had been labeled Mavericks. Her brother was second-in-command in that group. As a Maverick Hunter, Omega's duty was to eliminate him―even though the two were good friends. When this happened, the female Reploid was overcome with grief. She summoned her brother's lingering fighting spirit and attacked Omega."

"No!" Iris cried.

"Omega did not want to fight her, but he had no choice," Harpuia continued gravely. "He won that battle…but in the process lost the person most important to him. He hasn't been the same ever since. And because of his guilt, he decided to not move on to Cyberspace and instead became Cial's apprentice."

"That's…that's so sad!" Iris exclaimed.

"Truth be told, we hadn't even been built when most of those events took place. We only know it from going through data archives when we were alive. Since we've been here for so long, though, we can't remember Omega's real name," Fefnir added.

"Does Leviathan know about any of this?" asked Iris. "She told me she didn't trust Omega at all."

"She knows, but Leviathan is wary of anyone who's close to Cial," Harpuia explained. "Pretty much the only reason she still trusts me is because we're brother and sister, and we were programmed to never harm each other."

"Huh." Satisfied with the answers she had gotten, Iris looked down at the unconscious Omega and watched him sleep for a bit.

_Omega… I never realized how much you've suffered…_ She glanced at the data chip in her hand and got an idea. "Fefnir! Harpuia! What if I took the gold data chip back to Ciel? I could give back the chip and apologize to her for Omega! Can you tell me where Ciel lives?"

"You'd go to Ciel's place?" Fefnir asked in disbelief. "It might help, but she's one dangerous witch!"

"I don't care how dangerous it is!" Iris responded. "Omega helped me before. Now, I want to help him!"

"Hmm… I know how you can get there, but you'll have to get back on your own," Fefnir answered. "Wait here a moment." He got up and walked over to a nearby dresser and began digging through the drawers. In the meantime, Iris ran over to the soot balls' workplace.

"Everyone, I need my shoes and clothes, please!" she announced. "I guess my parents will have to wait a little longer…"

Harpuia lifted the baby elves off Fefnir's helmet and placed them on Iris' shoulders. A moment later, Leviathan entered the boiler room through the sliding door. "Thorn! I've looked everywhere for you!"

"Leviathan!" Iris greeted.

"Yikes, there's blood everywhere! What happened?" Leviathan wondered. Her eyes fell on Harpuia and she gave a start. "Harpuia! Is that you?!"

"Not you too, Leviathan…" Harpuia grumbled. Leviathan snatched him out of the air and nuzzled him with her cheek, causing him to yelp in shock.

"Harpy, you're so cute now!" the female Reploid squealed. "I've always wanted a cute little brother!"

"L-Leviathan! Release me, now!" Harpuia demanded.

"Aww, you're even cuter when you're angry!" Leviathan cooed.

"LEVIATHAN!"

Iris giggled in amusement at the sight, but composed herself as best as she could for Harpuia's sake. Then she asked, "Leviathan, what did you need me for?"

The female Reploid stopped cuddling her transformed brother and regained a serious expression. "Oh right, I almost forgot. Everyone's looking for you, Thorn, and Cial is furious. The guy with all the gold turned out to be a monster called Noh-Face. And he says that you let him into the bathhouse!"

_She must be talking about that masked spirit,_ Iris realized. "I did let him in."

Leviathan gasped in disbelief. "Are you serious?!"

"Yeah, I thought he was a customer."

"WHAT?!" Leviathan shouted. "He's a monster! He's already swallowed three people!"

"Found it!" Fefnir announced. "Here it is, Thorn!"

"It'll have to wait, Fefnir," Leviathan grunted. "We're busy right now."

"You can use this," the boiler man said as he presented Iris with a set of tickets.

"F-Fefnir! When did you get train tickets?!" Leviathan demanded. "We could have been out of here ages ago!"

"Levi, you know as well as I do that we're bound to Cial as long as she holds our true names," Fefnir answered calmly. Leviathan immediately shut her mouth as she remembered that detail. Fefnir placed the tickets into Iris' outstretched hand and spoke to her. "Listen carefully, Thorn. The train stop you want is called Swamp Bottom."

"Swamp Bottom?"

"Right. That's where Ciel lives," Fefnir confirmed. "The sixth stop."

"Sixth stop. Got it," Iris said, nodding in understanding.

"Make sure you get it right," Fefnir warned. "The train used to run in both directions, but these days, it's a one-way trip. Ya still want to go?"

"Of course!" Iris answered. "All I have to do is walk back along the tracks."

"I shall accompany her," Harpuia said as he flew next to Iris' head.

Fefnir snickered. "You're just too embarrassed to let anyone in the bathhouse see you like that." Harpuia's tiny face turned bright red, causing the boiler man to laugh even harder.

"Thorn! What about Noh-Face?" asked Leviathan.

"I'll take care of that first," Iris responded. She walked back over to Omega and knelt by his side. "Omega… I'll be back as soon as I can. Just hang in there!" Without even thinking, she placed a small, chaste kiss on his cheek. As soon as her lips touched his skin, a single thought emerged from the depths of her mind and shone clear as day.

_I…I'm in love with Omega!_

Fefnir, Leviathan, and Harpuia all watched the scene with wide eyes and blushing faces.

"Oh dear… She's totally in love with him…" Leviathan mumbled.

"Looks that way," Fefnir commented.

"Yep," Harpuia agreed.

Iris shot upwards and whirled towards the Reploids, her face red as a tomato. She had completely forgotten about her "audience". "Th-that's enough from the peanut gallery!"

* * *

**LunaClefairy: I feel a teeny bit guilty about making Ciel act the way she did this chapter (I do like her and I am a fan of the Zero/Ciel pairing), but she does have a reason for it. Anyway, I still like this chapter a lot for the fluff and Harpuia abuse as well as the Guardian's "commentary" at the end. **


	5. Chapter 5

The bathhouse was still in chaos because of Noh-Face. One female worker shrieked that the spirit kept getting bigger and bigger, and another whimpered, not wanting to be eaten. Iris arrived, accompanied by the transformed baby elves and Harpuia. The two mice rode on her shoulders, while Harpuia hid in her hair, hoping to retain his dignity. Every eye fell on Iris as she passed through the hallway.

"Oh Thorn, thank goodness!" one of the workers exclaimed. "Cial can't hold him off much longer!" As if to confirm the statement, the whole hallway shook, and the sound of porcelain shattering filled the air.

"There's no need to get upset. I'm sure they'll find Thorn somewhere," Cial's voice said from behind a sliding door. The doors banged, and Noh-Face's voice followed soon after.

"Where is Thorn?! I want Thorn!" he yelled.

"Hurry! This way!" the worker beckoned as he guided Iris towards the door. The worker walked up to the sliding door and whispered to Cial. "Madame, Thorn is here, now!"

"_Finally_!" Cial yelled as she shoved the doors open. She turned around and quickly spoke to Noh-Face. "Thorn has arrived, sir! She'll be with you in just a minute!" Then she slammed the doors shut and moved in on Iris.

"He's destroying everything! It's costing us a fortune! So suck up to him and get every last speck of gold…he's…" Cial trailed off as she saw the mice on Iris' shoulders.

"Chu!" the mice squeaked.

"Ew! What are those dirty mice doing here?!" Cial shrieked.

"Huh?" Iris glanced at the transformed baby elves and noticed their sad expressions. "They're your… Don't they look familiar?"

"Familiar? Don't be ridiculous!" Cial scoffed. "Now get in there!" She opened the sliding doors, shoved Iris inside, and announced, "Here's Thorn!" before closing the doors and retreating.

"Will Thorn be all right in there by herself?" the worker questioned Cial.

"You wanna take her place?" the witch asked sinisterly. The worker immediately shut up.

Iris got on her knees in front of the massive Noh-Face. The spirit now had six limbs and a huge, gaping maw. He slowly lumbered towards Iris, but she remained still and calm. She was confident Noh-Face wouldn't harm her.

"Try this. It's delicious," Noh-Face said as he held up a huge bowl of meat. He put the bowl down and changed his voice. "Want some gold? I'm not giving it to anybody else!"

Crea and Prea slowly backed up in fear. Even Harpuia was unnerved.

"Thorn, are you sure about this?" he whispered.

"Just trust me," Iris whispered back.

"Come closer, Thorn," Noh-Face beckoned. "What would you like? Just name it."

"I would like to leave, sir," Iris requested. "I have someplace I need to go to right away." Noh-Face recoiled in shock and confusion. "And you should go back to where you came from. Cial doesn't want you in the bathhouse any longer."

Noh-Face's mask began to retreat into his body. Iris noticed that he seemed sad. "Where is your home? Don't you have any friends or family?"

"No…" Noh-Face answered. "No… I'm lonely. I'm lonely!" He began to advance on Iris, and she retreated to the wall to put some distance between herself and him.

_Poor Noh-Face… _she thought. "What is it that you want?"

"I want Thorn. I want Thorn!" Noh-Face answered with vigor. His mask emerged from his body and he presented her with a handful of gold. "Take the gold! Take it!"

"Are you going to eat me?" Iris asked as Noh-Face's fingers stretched and encircled her neck. Even then, she remained completely calm.

"Take it!" Noh-Face insisted. Then, Crea and Prea squeaked and bit the spirit's fingers. Harpuia darted out from Iris' hair as Noh-Face brought his hand back to his body, the mice hanging from his fingers by their teeth. The spirit tried to smack them off, but Harpuia snatched them both up and dropped them back on Iris' shoulders.

"You two better appreciate this, because I know Cial isn't gonna thank me," Harpuia grumbled.

"If you want to eat me, eat this first," Iris said as she showed Noh-Face the river spirit's gift. "I was saving it for my parents, but I think you should have it instead."

She tossed the dumpling into Noh-Face's mouth, and the effect was immediate. He gagged, sticking out his enormous tongue, and turned his massive body around. Then he retched and and spewed out a large amount of black vomit. Iris gasped, horrified and disgusted.

"Thorn…" Noh-Face groaned. "Thorn, what did you do to me?!" He puked some more and chased after Iris, but she managed to escape the room. Noh-Face chased her, knocking down doors and anyone unlucky enough to be in his way.

_I have to get him out of the bathhouse!_ Iris thought desperately as she fled through the hallways. She could hear Noh-Face just behind her, roaring in fury. Cial suddenly appeared and held out her arms in order to prevent Noh-Face from going any farther.

"Enough!" the witch yelled as Iris slipped by. "I don't care if he's rich! This nonsense has got to stop!" She formed a fireball in her hands and launched it at Noh-Face. The spirit didn't slow down at all, but he projectile-vomited a huge wave of brown goop all over Cial and her surroundings. Then he crashed into a railing and panted for a bit before vomiting a bit more.

"Noh-Face! Over here!" Iris called from the floor below.

"Thorn, are you crazy?!" Harpuia snapped as Noh-Face resumed his pursuit of Iris.

"Maybe I am, but this is the only way to get him out of the bathhouse!" Iris replied. She hurried down a long flight of stairs, and Noh-Face followed, leaving a trail of goop behind him. Once she reached the bottom, she used the railing to quickly turn towards the next flight. When she finally reached the ground floor, she accidentally smacked right into the elevator. She recovered quickly, and Noh-Face crashed into the very same elevator. Iris allowed herself a head start as Noh-Face panted and recovered from the collision. He then spat up the dancing worker and the female employee from earlier.

"Now that's an esophagus…" the dancing worker muttered.

Noh-Face panted heavily and resumed his pursuit. "I'll get you for this, Thorn!"

Iris saw that Noh-Face had slowed down considerably since the beginning of the chase, so she took care to stay within his sights. She led him through the kitchen, where the chefs ducked and hid. Then she walked through a hallway, where Noh-Face puked some more. Finally, she reached the outside. Leviathan was swimming in the water near a small dock and holding onto a tiny boat.

"Thorn! This way!" she yelled. Iris scrambled down to the dock and climbed into the boat. Then, Leviathan began to push the boat along. Iris saw Noh-Face appear on a large pipe as she took off her work outfit, revealing her normal clothes underneath.

"Hey! Over here, Noh-Face!" she called.

"What are you doing, idiot?!" Leviathan shrieked. "Don't call him over!"

"Trust me, Leviathan, this girl is _full_ of crazy ideas," Harpuia commented as he emerged from Iris' hair.

"I think being in the bathhouse drives Noh-Face crazy," said Iris. "He needs to get out of there."

"Yeah? And go where?" Leviathan asked.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Leviathan echoed as Noh-Face jumped off the pipe and into the water. "Oh, great. Now he's following us."

"He won't hurt us," Iris said confidently. Noh-Face swam until he got onto the tracks, and then he stood up and coughed out the kimono-wearing frog. The frog floated to the water's surface, dazed. When he regained his senses, he swam away.

"You'll have to walk from here," Leviathan stated as the boat finally reached the train tracks.

"Okay." Iris climbed out, holding her shoes and socks in her hands.

"The station's just down the tracks," Leviathan explained. Iris thanked her and began to walk off. Leviathan followed her from the water for a bit. "You'd better come back, you hear me?"

"I will."

"Harpuia, I'll kill you if anything happens to her!"

"Duly noted," Harupia commented.

"Thorn! I'm sorry I called you a dope before! I take it baaaaack!" Leviathan yelled. Iris just waved, showing that all was forgiven. Leviathan turned and swam back, passing Noh-Face as she did so. "Noh-Face! If you put even one scratch on that girl, you'll be finding yourself at the end of my spear!"

Iris hurried over to the train station the instant it came into sight. Once she reached it, she looked over to the bathhouse and saw the train coming. Noh-Face got splashed by the wave of water the train left in its wake while Iris hurried to put her shoes and socks back on. The train screeched to a stop at the station, and Iris climbed aboard as soon its doors opened. The conductor held out his hand in expectation of tickets.

"Oh!" Iris exclaimed as she reached into her shirt and pulled out her tickets. "We'd like to go to Swamp Bottom, please!"

The conductor took the tickets and did a head count to make sure there was a ticket for Iris and all of her friends. His finger then pointed to the area behind Iris. She turned around and saw Noh-Face standing there.

"Oh, you want to come with us?" she asked.

"Ah, ah," Noh-Face said while nodding.

Iris turned back towards the conductor. "He'd like to come too, please!"

The conductor shredded the tickets and moved out of the way, enabling Iris and Noh-Face to climb aboard. The doors closed, and the train hissed before moving again. Iris found an empty place to sit and encouraged Noh-Face to sit beside her. Crea and Prea climbed off her shoulders and pressed themselves to the windows, admiring the scenery, while Harpuia hovered nearby, keeping an eye on them.

"Behave yourself, okay?" Iris requested as Noh-Face sat down.

Iris looked out the window and watched the scenery pass by. The sun slowly began to set, painting the sky and clouds orange. The train sped by a house, which looked like it was on an island in the middle of the ocean. Human and Reploid spirits entered and exited the train at each station, and Iris kept a mental count of every stop. Eventually, the train was empty of passengers except for Iris and her friends.

Night fell, and neon signs whizzed by, advertising various places and services. Crea and Prea had long since fallen asleep, and Iris cradled them in her hands as they napped. She continued looking out the window as the scenery turned to marshland, hoping and praying.

_Omega… Please be okay…_

* * *

Omega's eyes slowly fluttered open. His ears were soon assaulted by loud snoring.

_Fefnir…? _He sat up, quickly noticing that he was in the boiler room. He turned around and, sure enough, Fefnir was lying against his station, fast asleep. Omega kneeled beside Fefnir and gently shook him.

"Fefnir. Fefnir, wake up!" he ordered.

The boiler man moaned and yawned as he stirred. "Hmm…? Ah! Omega, you're awake!"

"I'm fine. Where is Thorn?" Omega asked. "Did she go somewhere? Can you tell me what's going on?"

"Don't you remember? You blacked out," Fefnir explained.

"Yeah," Omega answered. "I remember being lost in darkness. Then, I could hear Thorn's voice, calling my name. So I followed her voice, and the next thing I knew, I was lying here and feeling better than ever."

"She loves you, you know," Fefnir stated bluntly, causing Omega to jolt in shock. "That's the only way a curse set by a witch as strong as Ciel could have been broken. Thorn left to return the golden data chip. She did it save you."

Omega closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I never thought I'd see Iris again… And I certainly never imagined she'd retain her feelings for me."

"Iris? Her real name is Iris?" Fefnir asked.

Omega reopened his eyes and nodded. "To think…not only does she look the same as before, but she even has the same name. There's no way it can be a coincidence."

"What do you mean?"

"I think…the real reason I didn't move on to Cyberspace is because I was afraid to face her," Omega answered slowly. "I killed her, you know… How many people want to see their killer again? But now I understand. Iris must've seen what I had done to myself from Cyberspace. Then she reincarnated herself in the human world, breaking who knows how many laws of the afterlife to do so. All to help me see the truth."

"So Iris is…"

Omega nodded in confirmation. "The very same girl I fell in love with all those years ago." He stood up and turned towards the exit. "I'm going to see Cial. She must've noticed that Iris is gone by now. Her parents will be slaughtered for sure if I don't act soon."

Fefnir chuckled. "It might help to know that the baby elves are with Iris right now."

Omega smirked and thanked Fefnir. He had now had the perfect bargaining chip.

Cial sat in her office with a bathrobe covering her body and her hair wrapped in a towel. Next to her was a small table with a tip box and a large pile of gold on top of it. The fake baby elves were busy munching on a huge pile of candy, while the frog spirit, the dancing spirit, and another worker were bowing in front of Cial.

"This gold doesn't even come close to covering the damage that stupid Noh-Face caused!" the witch snarled. "Thorn didn't get nearly enough. She'll have to be punished."

"Madame," the frog spirit interjected. "You see, Thorn was the one who saved us from Noh-Face!" The others nodded in agreement.

"But Thorn was also the one who caused this mess in the first place!" Cial snapped. "And now she's run away from here. She's even abandoned her own parents! Those pigs must be ready to eat by now. Turn them into bacon!"

The servants gawked in disbelief at the order. They couldn't imagine betraying Thorn after what she had done for them.

"Wait just a minute," Omega interrupted as he entered the room.

"Huh? Master Omega?" the servants mumbled in confusion.

"You're still alive?" Cial asked in disbelief. "What do you want?"

Omega walked in front of Cial and looked her right in the eye. "You still haven't noticed that something precious to you has been replaced."

"Since when did you get smart enough to talk back to me?" Cial sneered. Omega said nothing else, but continued to stare coldly at the witch. Cial began to think that perhaps he was right. She snatched up a piece of the gold and eyed it carefully. In response, one of the servants did the same to a piece of gold he had hidden in his shirt.

Cial could find nothing wrong with the gold and smiled evilly at Omega. The Reploid's gaze only intensified, as if to say, "Try again." Cial turned and looked at the fake baby elves, who were still eagerly munching the candy. She made a zipping motion with her fingers, and the two elves stopped eating and combined into one. Then, the three green heads reformed from the single ball of light and bounced off.

Cial's eyes grew to the size of saucers as the green heads opened a door and exited the room. She held her head in disbelief and murmured, "My…babies…" Then, the gold on the table shriveled and turned black.

"NO!" Cial shrieked. She knocked the table over, scattering the shriveled gold everywhere. The workers caught some of it and soon realized it was just dirt. Then, Cial made a break for the nursery. "MY BABIES!"

The witch searched all over the nursery, calling for Crea and Prea. She tossed pillows and stuffed animals everywhere, screaming for her children to come out. Omega calmly entered the nursery while Cial continued to panic. When the witch turned around and saw him, she became enraged.

_**"YOUUUUUUUUUUU!" **_she roared. Fire spewed forth from her mouth, and her eyes changed color to a demonic red. Her towel flew off her head, and a phantom wind blew her hair about. _**"WHEEEEEERE AAAAAARE THEEEEEEEEEYYYY?!"**_

Cial rushed over to Omega. Her hair began to wrap around him, holding him in place, and she got right in his face, spewing fire all about him, but he remained completely calm.

_**"****WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BAAAABIIIEESSSS?!" **_Cial demanded as she put both of her hands on Omega's shoulders.

"They're with your sister," the Reploid answered.

_**"CIEEEELLL?!"**_ The flames spewing from Cial's mouth instantly extinguished, her eyes returned to their normal color, and both her hair and her hands released him. She exhaled heavily and staggered towards a nearby chair. She turned it around with her magic and collapsed in it.

"Very clever, Omega…" she sighed. "I get it. You'll get my babies back for me, but at a price." She paused and chuckled. "So, what do you want?"

"Take Thorn's contract and rip it to pieces," Omega ordered. "And then, I want you to return Thorn and her mother and father back to the human world."

"Fine, but on one condition: I get to give Thorn one final test," Cial answered. "If she fails, she's mine!"

* * *

The train screeched to a stop as it finally reached Swamp Bottom. Iris and Noh-Face carefully disembarked and watched as the train drove off again. Harpuia floated next to Iris' head, and Crea and Prea were back on her shoulders. The little group turned towards a single dirt path that led deeper into the swamp.

"This should be the right stop," Iris stated. She glanced at Harpuia and Noh-Face. "Let's go."

The dirt path was long and winding, but dry. Iris looked left and right at the swampy terrain around her and was grateful that she didn't have to trek through mud. They soon came across a forested area, and Iris could see a tiny light bouncing along. The light was soon revealed to be a lantern attached to a pole with a single foot. The lantern stopped in front of the group and bowed. Iris and Noh-Face bowed back respectfully. Then the lantern began to guide them along the path, providing valuable light in the dark forest.

The sounds of frogs and crickets filled the air as the small group journeyed on. Their guide stopped every few seconds so they wouldn't be left behind. At last, they reached the gateway of a large but humble-looking hut just outside the edge of the woods. The lantern jumped up and attached itself to the gateway, and Iris and her friends continued on to the hut.

Just as Iris reached the hut's entrance, the door swung open, as if expecting them.

"Come in," Ciel called. Iris blinked, amazed that they were being allowed in so easily.

_Could it be a trap?_ _Even if it is, I have to do this. Omega's counting on me!_

She took a deep breath and exhaled and then bravely strode into the hut. It didn't look anything like a witch's hut; the wooden floor and furniture were well-maintained, and a cheerful fire burned in the fireplace.

"Hello?" Iris called.

"Hurry up. I don't have all day," Ciel answered. Noh-Face stood frozen at the door, but a small amount of persuasion from Iris convinced him to come in. Then, Ciel closed the door, revealing herself. "So, you all made it."

"Huh?" Iris said in confusion.

"Sit down. I'll make you some tea," Ciel continued. She walked over to her stove and placed a green tea kettle on the burner before turning the flame on. Iris approached the witch, cradling the data chip in her hands.

"Um, excuse me, ma'am," Iris began. She presented Ciel with the chip. "Omega stole this from you. I came to give it back."

"I see," Ciel said as she picked up the chip. She held in front of her face with her thumb and forefinger and asked, "Do you have any idea what this is?"

"I do. It's the golden data chip you were looking for," Iris replied. "I'm here to apologize for Omega. I'm very sorry!" She bowed as deeply as she could in order to show her sincerity.

"He cut me to ribbons, you know, and I'm still angry about that," Ciel remarked. Iris stood up straight again and laughed nervously, remembering that incident. Ciel looked at the data chip again and gasped. "Why, my protective spell is gone!"

"I'm sorry. Do you mean that black slug that was on your chip? I squashed it under my foot and killed it!" Iris said apologetically.

"_Squashed it_?!" Ciel repeated before bursting into laughter. "That wasn't _my_ slug! My sister put that slug into Omega so she could control him! And you squashed it… Ahahaha!"

_If that slug was there to control Omega, then it's a good thing I killed it._

"What happened to my spell?" Ciel asked as she gently pushed Iris towards the table. "Only love can break it."

"Luh-luh-luh-love?" Iris stammered, blushing heavily.

"There's no need to be embarrassed," Ciel said warmly. "It's obvious you care for him a lot. Come, now."

"Um, Ciel, can you please turn these three back to their normal forms?" Iris requested as she gestured towards Crea, Prea, and Harpuia.

"The spell on those three wore off long ago. Change back if you want," Ciel replied.

"I think I'll stay like this a bit longer," Harpuia said. "As humiliating as this form is, I've actually enjoyed myself a lot. I think the baby elves feel the same." Crea and Prea both nodded, agreeing with him.

The mice ran side-by-side inside of a spinning wheel, treating it like a hamster wheel. Not only were they getting exercise, they helped Ciel spin her thread. The rest of the group sat at the table, enjoying tea, cookies, and cake.

"I don't get along with my sister at all," Ciel said. "She's so obnoxious! You saw how tacky her home is. We're identical twins, and yet exact opposites." She sipped her tea, and Crea and Prea took a break to devour some cookies before scurrying back to work.

"I'm sorry she turned your parents into pigs, but there's nothing I can do. It's against the law to interfere with another witch's magic," Ciel continued. "You'll have to help your parents and Omega on your own. Use what you remember about them."

"That's it? Can't you give me more of a hint than that?" Iris asked. "I feel like I've met Omega before, but I just don't know when!"

"That's a good start," Ciel stated. "Once you meet someone, you never truly forget them…even if your last meeting was in a past life."

"Past life?" Iris repeated.

"You're a very special girl, Thorn," Ciel said. "While your body is definitely human, I can sense that you have the soul of a Reploid. Reploids normally don't reincarnate except under very special circumstances. It seems to me that you were destined to meet Omega again."

"About Omega… Do you hate him, Ciel?" Iris asked.

"Heavens, no!" Ciel replied. "If you're talking about what I said in back in my sister's bathhouse, that was mostly the result of my anger at him for stealing my chip. And I also wanted to test you. I had a feeling I knew what Reploid you used to be, and I wanted to see if my theory was correct."

"Can't you tell me who I was in my past life?" Iris requested.

"I'm sorry, but that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself," Ciel answered. "Now, while you're thinking about it, your friends and I are going to make something special for you. And I want you to call me 'Sis' from now on."

Ciel chuckled and encouraged Crea and Prea to keep running on the spinning wheel. Noh-Face assisted them, and Ciel commented, "Noh-Face, where did you learn to spin thread? You're really good at this!"

Iris sat on a stool, deep in thought, while everyone else began weaving. After a while, she got up and approached to Ciel.

"Sis, I can't remember anything at all," she mumbled. Her eyes began to fill with tears as she continued. "Omega could be dead already and I'm just sitting here! A-and my mother and father could have been turned into bacon and eaten for dinner!"

Iris sobbed and wiped her eyes while Ciel turned back to her work. "Wait just a little bit longer. Ah, there we go!" She handed Iris a sparkling purple and pink hair tie. "Here. Use it to tie back your hair."

Iris gingerly accepted the hair tie and stared at it in astonishment. "It's…beautiful!"

"It'll protect you. It's made from the threads your friends wove together," Ciel explained.

"Thank you very much," said Iris. She removed her old red hair tie and slid it over her wrist like a bracelet. Then she put her hair back into its signature low ponytail with the new hair tie. As she did so, the wind picked up for a moment, rattling the windows.

"Look, we have another guest," Ciel observed. "Will you let him in?"

"Sure," Iris answered. She jogged over to the door and opened it before peeking outside. Iris inhaled sharply and felt her heart stop for two full beats when she saw the guest. Omega was standing just outside in his demon form, completely healed.

"Hey, Iris. It's good to see you again," he said.

"OMEGA!" Iris practically flew out the door. Her feet barely touched the ground as she sprinted towards the Reploid and tackled him in a hug. "Omega, you're alive! I…I'm so happy you're okay! How did it happen?!" Omega found himself at a loss for words, so he instead wrapped his arms around Iris and held her close.

"Ahahaha, that's love for you!" Ciel laughed as she emerged from her hut.

Iris turned her head towards the witch and shouted, "Look, Sis! Omega's alive!"

"Ciel… I'm sorry for what I did…" Omega apologized.

"Omega, I will forgive for stealing my precious data disk. But in return, you must take care of Thorn," Ciel stated. She then turned towards Harpuia, who was holding Crea and Prea. "All right, you three, it's time to go home. Come back and visit soon."

"We will," Harpuia said. "Maybe I'll bring Fefnir and Leviathan along next time." Crea and Prea each gave their aunt a kiss on the cheek, and then Harpuia carried them to Iris' shoulders.

"Noh-Face, why don't you stay with me?" Ciel suggested. "I could use a good helper." Noh-Face eagerly nodded in agreement.

Iris released herself from Omega and ran over and hugged Ciel. "Sis! Thank you so much! I'll miss you!"

"Don't worry, you'll do just fine," Ciel replied as she hugged Iris back.

"I want you to know my real name. It's Iris," Iris stated.

"Iris… What a pretty name! I should have guessed as much," Ciel commented. "You take care, now!"

"I will!" Iris replied.

"Off you go!" Ciel said as she let the human girl go.

"Okay!" Iris called back. She allowed Omega to carry her bridal-style and latched onto his neck, but before they took off, she had one last message for Ciel. "Sis, thank you for everything! Take care!"

"Ready, Iris?" Omega asked.

"Yep!"

"Here we go!" Omega crouched down to the ground, spread his wings wide, and soared into the sky. Iris latched a little tighter onto his neck as the air rushed past her body, but the feeling was exhilarating. Harpuia flew next to them, and despite his tiny form, he had no problems keeping up. Back on the ground, Ciel, Noh-Face, and the magic lantern all waved good-bye.

As Omega flew through the starry sky, Iris was overcome with a wave of familiarity. She felt…no, _knew_ she had been held like this before. She suddenly remembered why this felt so familiar and decided to tell Omega about it.

"Omega?" she called.

"What is it?"

"I just remembered something…a dream that I've had a few times," she answered. "Mama told me that recurring dreams always mean something, but I dismissed it…until now. Ciel said that I have a Reploid's soul, so I think this dream might have to do with my past life. I don't know for sure, but I think it might help you."

Omega swallowed nervously. "What was the dream about?"

"Well… In the dream, I think I'm dying," Iris began. "There's someone kneeling above me, calling my name, but my vision is too blurry to make them out very well. My dream self knows this person was the one who hurt me, but even so, I'm not upset with them. I don't remember everything I said, but I think I told this person that I wanted to live together with them. And then…my body goes limp and my vision goes dark."

Omega said nothing, but his body tensed up noticeably.

"It's strange, though, because the dream doesn't end there," Iris continued. "I can feel the person lift my body up. They sound like they're crying. And they said they had no reason to go on."

"I-Iris…" Omega's voice trembled, as if he were holding back a wave of emotion.

"There is one thing I remember very clearly. I called this person 'Zero'. It's finally all come back to me. Omega, that was you! And your real name is Zero!"

Omega's eyes widened tremendously as he froze in place. His demonic form evaporated off of him and he plummeted, unintentionally losing his grip on Iris. As the two of them began to free-fall, Iris released Omega's―or rather, Zero's―neck and reached for his hands. The two of them ended up in a skydiving position, with their stomachs directed towards the ground and their legs splayed out. Despite the air rushing past her body and the fact that the water was hundreds of feet below her, she wasn't afraid.

Zero lifted his head, and Iris noticed his eyes were filled with tears. "Iris…thank you. I remember! My real name _is_ Zero! But I―"

"I know. You killed me," Iris interrupted. "But I'm not upset with you. You had to do what you thought was right. I may not remember much about my former life, but I know this much: Zero, you are one of the kindest, most selfless people I've ever met."

Tears leaked from Iris' eyes as she confessed her feelings. Zero stared at her with a mix of joy and disbelief.

"Iris…" he murmured.

Iris sobbed happily and cried out, "I love you, Zero!"

Crea, Prea, and Harpuia tumbled through the air just above Iris and Zero, getting splattered by their teardrops. Zero and Iris stopped falling just a few feet above the surface and magically rose higher into the air again. They soared off towards the bathhouse hand-in-hand, with Harpuia right beside them and carrying the baby elves.

Cial paced left and right in front of the bathhouse's entrance. Next to her were a dozen pigs, roped off within a makeshift pen. Leviathan peeked up from her perch on a nearby roof, and she soon spotted Zero and Iris flying towards them.

"Hey, there they are!" she shouted as she pointed at them. A whole bunch of other bathhouse employees, including Fefnir, stood up to get a better look and cheered when they saw she was right.

Cial stopped her pacing as Zero and Iris gently landed on the other side of the bridge, still holding hands. The witch scowled. "I see you failed to bring my babies back!"

Harpuia flew high into the air in front of her, and the baby elves turned back into their normal forms, causing everyone to gasp. Then, Harpuia allowed himself to regain his former shape and size.

"Phew…" the green-armored Reploid sighed. Leviathan pouted, already missing Harpuia's Cyber Elf form.

"Mama!" Crea and Prea shouted as they flew towards Cial.

"My babies!" the witch cried, hugging them both. "Are you traumatized? Did they do terrible things to you?"

"Don't forget your promise!" Zero shouted. "You must return Iris and her parents to the human world!"

"Hmph, not so fast, Omega! I get to give Thorn one final test!" Cial reminded as she released her children. All of the bathhouse employees booed this statement, but Cial turned towards them and yelled, "Shut up!" They immediately quieted and retreated.

"Stop it, Mama!" Prea shouted.

"Leave her alone!" Crea added. Cial turned to the baby elves and stared at them in confusion.

"We had a really good time together with Thorn, didn't we, Crea?" Prea asked.

"Yes, it was very fun, Prea," Crea agreed.

"But a deal is a deal, sweeties! I have to give Thorn one final test!" Cial argued.

"If you make Thorn cry…" Prea began as she glowed more intensely.

"We won't like you anymore," Crea finished, copying her twin's actions.

"But―"

"Hey, Sis!" Iris called from across the bridge.

"Huh? 'Sis'?!" Cial spun towards Iris, utterly confused.

"You're right. A deal's a deal," Iris stated. She crossed the bridge and stopped in front of the witch. "I accept your test."

"Heh, you've got guts," Cial chuckled. She held up a rolled-up piece of paper. "I've got your contract right here. Come this way." She turned to the baby elves and cooed, "This'll only take a minute!"

"Don't worry," Iris assured Crea and Prea as she followed Cial to the makeshift pigpen.

"See if you can tell which of these pigs are your mother and father," Cial said. "You get one try. If you guess correctly, you can all go home."

Iris' eyes scanned the pigs. The employees all watched nervously, and the little frog spirit gulped. After a few seconds of examination, Iris' brow furrowed in confusion.

"That's funny. There must be a mistake. None of these pigs are my mother or father," she concluded.

"None of them? Is that _really_ your answer?" Cial asked. Iris nodded confidently in response. Cial jolted as Iris' contract turned to dust in her hands, and in a puff of smoke, the pigs all turned into bathhouse workers.

"Ohhh! Yooooou got it!" they all exclaimed. Everyone whooped and cheered loudly. Leviathan jumped and span around, Fefnir pumped both of his fists, and even the normally stoic Harpuia was practically dancing.

"Thank you, everyone!" Iris cried gratefully.

"All right, you win!" Cial snarled. "Now get out of my sight!"

"Thanks for everything, Sis," Iris said as she bowed to Cial. The witch scoffed in response. Iris ran back across the bridge and bid all of her friends farewell. Zero was waiting on the other side with his hand outstretched.

"Zero!" Iris exclaimed as she took his hand.

"Let's go!" the Reploid responded. The two dashed into the town, hand-in-hand.

"Where are my mother and father?" Iris wondered as they scampered down the stairs.

"When you passed the test, they woke up on the human side of the river," Zero responded. "They're waiting for you there." When they reached where the river was, they slowed to a stop, and Iris noticed that it had shrunk back into a tiny stream.

"The water's all gone. I can walk across now!" she exclaimed.

"This is where we'll have to part ways. I can't go any farther," Zero stated.

"But, Zero…"

"Just go back the way you came. You'll be just fine," said Zero. "But you have to promise not to look back―not until you've passed through the tunnel."

"But… What about you?" Iris asked.

"Don't worry. I'm gonna have a little chat with Cial. I'll tell her I'm going to quit being her apprentice," Zero replied. "I'll be fine. I have my name back."

"Will I… Will I ever see you again?" Iris asked. She felt tears build up as she realized how hard it was going to be to say good-bye to Zero.

"Your soul found a way into the human world. There's no reason that I can't do the same," Zero replied. "Iris… I've already kept you waiting for two hundred years. I swear to you that I will find you again, no matter what."

"Zero…" Iris leapt up and hugged the Reploid tightly, burying her head into his shoulder and sobbing. "Thank you so much…" Zero held her against him and gently stroked her hair.

"Come on, Iris, you can't keep your parents waiting," he reminded.

"I know…" she sniffed. She slowly removed her head from Zero's shoulder and looked up at him with puffy red eyes. "I guess this is good-bye."

"Afraid so."

"Then let's make it one to remember." Without warning, Iris stood on her tiptoes, closed her eyes, and gently touched her lips to Zero's. The Reploid blushed heavily, not expecting such a bold move. After getting over the initial shock, he closed his eyes and kissed her back. They stayed like that for a few seconds and then reluctantly broke apart.

"Okay. I think I'm ready, now," Iris said. "Good-bye, Zero."

"Good-bye, Iris. And remember: Don't look back."

Iris began climbing down the steps that led to the stream and held onto Zero's hand until the last possible moment. She hurried through the field, utilizing every last bit of her willpower to keep from turning around. She reached the steep hill that she and her parents had climbed and carefully made her way down.

"Iris!" Iris looked down from the hill as she heard her mother's voice. She saw her mother and father waiting at for her at the tunnel entrance, just like Zero said. "Where have you been? Hurry up!"

Iris' eyes widened in surprise and relief. Her parents were safe and back to normal! She rushed down the hill to join them. "Mama! Papa!"

"You should know better than to run off like that, honey," Mrs. Ayasato chided.

"You could get in big trouble," Mr. Ayasato added as he walked into the tunnel. Mrs. Ayasato joined him, and Iris blinked in confusion.

"Are you two _sure_ you're alright?" she asked.

"Let's go. I don't want to miss the movers," said Mrs. Ayasato.

_They… They don't remember anything. It's like nothing ever happened. Like I never entered Zero's world._

Iris became strongly tempted to look behind her and perhaps get one last glance at Zero, but she resisted. She ran into the tunnel in order to catch up with her parents.

"Iris, hurry up!" Mr. Ayasato beckoned. As they traveled through the dark tunnel, he warned his wife and daughter to watch their step. Iris' eyes darted left and right, wondering if something might jump out at them when they least expected it. Upon emerging on the other side, Mr. Ayasato was shocked to see the family car covered with leaves and twigs.

"Hey, what happened?!" he yelped.

"What is it?" wondered Mrs. Ayasato. Mr. Ayasato brushed away some of the foliage and then stuck his head in the car's open front window.

"The inside's all dusty, too," he observed.

"Is this someone's idea of a joke?" Mrs. Ayasato asked as she joined her husband.

"Looks like it," he replied.

"I told you we shouldn't have stopped," Mrs. Ayasato moaned. Meanwhile, Iris kept staring at the tunnel that led to the spirit world. She silently vowed that she would never forget what had happened there, even if her parents had. She thought about Zero and remembered his promise.

_Zero… I'll wait for you as long as I have to._

The car started up and Mrs. Ayasato called her daughter. "Come on, Iris! Let's go to our new home!"

"You're not scared, are you?" asked Mr. Ayasato.

"Don't be afraid, honey. Everything will be okay," Mrs. Ayasato assured. Iris turned around and hurried into the car. Sunlight reflected off of her new hairband, causing it to glitter. As soon as she settled herself in, the car drove off into the woods and towards her new home.

"A new home and a new school… That _is_ a bit scary," Mr. Ayasato stated.

Iris smiled softly. "I think I can handle it."

* * *

**LunaClefairy: Dawwww… So much fluff! The story is basically done now, but I also wrote an adorable but admittedly extremely cliché epilogue. I'll post it up in a couple of days.**


	6. Epilogue

"I'm going to go to the park, Mama!" Iris called as she left her house. She was now dressed in a dark purple long-sleeved shirt, a short dark pink skirt, and a matching beret and boots. She still wore the same hair tie her spirit friends had made for her.

"Okay! Come home safe, honey!" Mrs. Ayasato called back. As soon as she closed the door, Iris broke into a run. Now that it was April, the cherry blossoms were sure to be in full bloom, and she wanted to see them before anyone spoiled them.

_It's been eight months since my adventure in the spirit world. I've mostly adjusted to my new home, and I've made quite a few new friends at school. Shoko and I still keep in touch, even though we haven't seen each other since I've moved._

Iris reached the park entrance, panting a bit. She slowed her pace to a walk as she entered the park and smiled; no one else was around. A brisk wind blew by, and she could smell a hint of the cherry blossoms' fragrance on it.

She made her way deeper into the park, enjoying the lush green grass, the clear blue sky, and the chirping of the spring birds. After several minutes, she finally reached the cherry blossom grove, and her eyes widened in wonder and amazement.

"They're so beautiful," she breathed. Petals showered over her as she walked among the trees. "If only Zero could see this…"

She felt her chest tighten as she remembered the Reploid she had fallen in love with. She missed him terribly, but she also trusted him to keep his word.

_I'll wait for him until the day I die. I could never betray him._

She walked over to a nearby park bench and sat down. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, enjoying the aroma of the blossoms. Suddenly, the wind picked up tremendously and knocked Iris' beret off her head.

"Ah! My hat!" Iris leapt off the park bench and scampered after the wayward beret. She chased it all over the place, but the wind kept it out of her reach. She soon grew very tired and very frustrated. She had come to the park to enjoy herself, not spend time chasing after her second-favorite accessory!

The hat finally came to rest at a stranger's sneakered feet. The person bent over and picked it up, preventing it from going anywhere else. When Iris saw that someone had her hat, she ran up to them, huffing and puffing, but she was too focused on her hat to get a good look at them. She doubled over in front of the person, trying to catch her breath.

"Thanks…for finding…my hat…" she panted. "Stupid…wind…"

She felt the stranger gently place the beret atop her head. "That beret suits you."

Iris' breath caught and her heart leapt at the familiar voice. Her head shot up and her eyes met with a pair of ocean blue ones. "Zer―?!"

She was cut off when Zero wrapped an arm around her and swooped down and captured her lips in a kiss. Her eyes widened, her face flushed, her heart thrummed like the wings of a hummingbird, and her knees turned to jelly. She was so stunned that she couldn't even blink. After about two seconds, Zero pulled back from the kiss and grinned.

"Hey, Iris."

_Oh my god, it really __**is**__ him!_

As incredible as it was, Zero was standing right there in front of her as a human. She hadn't recognized him at first without his helmet and armor. While his hair was still the same ridiculous length, he was now wearing blue jeans and a light red jacket over a black T-shirt.

"Zero! How…? When…?" Iris was too stunned to form a coherent sentence.

"I promised I'd find you, remember?" Zero asked.

Iris finally got over her shock and her eyes sparkled with tears of happiness. "Yes. Yes, you did. But how did you do it?"

"It wasn't easy," Zero replied. "After I quit working at the bathhouse, I went to see if Ciel could construct a human body for me. She needed some very special and rare reagents for the spell, but I couldn't obtain all of them on my own. I had to get Fefnir, Leviathan, and Harpuia to help me, and before they could do that, I had to find their real names."

"Wow… How are they doing?"

"Let's just say Fighting Fefnir, Fairy Leviathan, Sage Harpuia, and Hidden Phantom are finally together as a family again."

"That's great!" Iris said happily. "I'm going to miss them, but I know they'll watch us from Cyberspace." She rested her head against Zero's chest and smiled as she listened to his heartbeat. "Zero… I'm so glad you're back."

"I'm glad to be here, Iris."

They closed their eyes and kissed once more as the cherry blossom petals fell around them. For the first time in over two hundred years, two lonely souls had finally found peace.

**THE END**

* * *

**LunaClefairy: I practically drowned in fluff while writing this. Cliché as it was, it was incredibly cute. This epilogue was heavily inspired by this positively BEAUTIFUL picture. (Remember to remove the spaces and replace (slash) with /)**

**iiannick . deviantart . com (slash) art (slash) Z-I-Finished-327941781**

**And so, **_**Iris' Spirited Away**_** finally comes to a close. I unfortunately haven't gotten over my writer's block for **_**Flood**_**, but hopefully that'll change before long.**

**This story was ridiculously fun to write! I wouldn't mind doing another Zero/Iris fic again sometime!**


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